Historic Mars Rock Fetches $4.3 Million at Auction: Discover the Largest Piece of the Red Planet

A remarkable piece of Mars, the largest ever found on Earth, sold for $4.3 million at a New York auction this past Wednesday. This meteorite, named NWA 16788, weighs 54 pounds and measures nearly 15 inches long, according to Sotheby’s.

Discovered in a remote part of Niger in November 2023, it is 70% larger than the previous biggest Martian meteorite. This reddish-brown rock is part of a very exclusive club—only about 400 Martian meteorites are known to exist on Earth.

Cassandra Hatton, vice-chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby’s, highlighted the odds of finding such a meteorite. “Considering that 70% of Earth’s surface is water, we’re incredibly lucky this landed on dry land instead of the ocean,” she stated in a video.

Additional costs raised the final price to around $5.3 million. The auction included over 100 items; notably, a Ceratosaurus skeleton sold for $26 million, while a Pachycephalosaurus skull went for $1.4 million.

Experts note that discoveries like NWA 16788 help us learn more about Mars’ history and geology. Studies of meteorites can reveal clues about the planet’s past climate and surface conditions, which helps scientists understand more about our solar system.

In recent social media reactions, many users expressed awe at the price and rarity of the meteorite, underscoring how space exploration continues to capture the public’s imagination.

For context, meteorites are remnants of rocks that survive their journey through Earth’s atmosphere after being ejected from their parent bodies, like asteroids or comets.

To learn more about the significance of meteorites and their role in scientific research, visit NASA’s Planetary Science page.

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