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Largest Piece of Mars on Earth to Be Auctioned by Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s in New York is set to auction a rare 54-pound Martian meteorite, the largest ever found on Earth. Named NWA 16788, this rock is expected to fetch between $2 million and $4 million. It was discovered in Niger in November 2023 and is believed to have traveled 140 million miles after a massive asteroid impact blasted it off Mars.
The meteorite is 70% larger than any previously found Martian sample and makes up nearly 7% of all known Martian material on Earth. Its coarse texture, glassy surface, and mineral composition—containing olivine and pyroxene—confirm its origin. Scientists identified it as an "olivine-microgabbroic shergottite," a type of rock formed from Martian magma.
A piece of the meteorite was analyzed and matched with Mars’ unique chemical signature, first identified by NASA’s Viking probe in 1976. It was previously exhibited at the Italian Space Agency in Rome.
Also part of the auction is a juvenile Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton from the Jurassic period, estimated at $4 to $6 million. This dinosaur, discovered in Wyoming in 1996, stands over 6 feet tall and 11 feet long. The auction is part of Geek Week 2025, which includes 122 rare items spanning meteorites, fossils, and gemstones.
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