The largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth is being auctioned off later this month and could fetch up to $4 million.
One of only 400 of its kind ever found, the hunk of red-hued space rock was chipped off the Red Planet by a massive asteroid strike before hurtling some 140 million miles to Earth.
Known as “NWA 16788,” it was found in the Sahara Desert by an unnamed meteorite hunter in 2023 before being exhibited at the Italian Space Agency and in a private gallery in Tuscany. It is unclear when it fell to Earth.
If the Mars rock sells, it is expected to break records. A meteorite found in China in 2000 currently holds the title of the most expensive ever offered at auction.
However, it didn’t sell when it was offered by Bonhams in 2008 for nearly $3 million. NWA 16788 is listed for $2 million to $4 million.
"NWA 16788 is a discovery of extraordinary significance, the largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth, and the most valuable of its kind ever offered at auction,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's Vice Chairman of Science and Natural History, explained in a statement.
Hatton called the space rock a “once-in-a-generation find,” bringing the potential owner a step closer to the fourth planet from the sun. Getting humans to Mars won’t likely happen until the 2030s or later.
The auction is slated to take place on July 16 at Sotheby’s New York.
