Auction of the largest Martian rock that fell to Earth, could fetch up to $4 million

The 25kg Martian rock with its distinctive red, brown and grey hues makes up nearly 7% of all known Martian meteorites on Earth.

Mars rock NWA 16788 is expected to cost up to 4 million USD - Photo: Sotheby's

The prestigious auction house Sotheby's in New York (USA) will hold a special auction on July 16, with the highlight being the Martian meteorite named NWA 16788 - an artifact confirmed to be the largest piece of material from the "Red Planet" ever to fall to Earth, weighing up to 25kg. This rare gem is expected to be offered for sale at a price of 2-4 million USD.

According to Sotheby's, the NWA 16788 meteorite originated from a giant collision between Mars and an asteroid. The collision sent this mass of material into space, before it fell into the Sahara desert - more than 225 million kilometers away from the mother planet. It was not until November 2023 that a meteorite hunter accidentally discovered NWA 16788 in Niger.

The impressive 38 x 28 x 15 (cm) rock, with its distinctive red, brown and grey hues, accounts for nearly 7% of all known Martian meteorites on Earth. Ms. Cassandra Hatton - Vice President of Science and Natural History at Sotheby's - affirmed that this is the largest piece of Mars ever recorded, about 70% larger than the next largest specimen.

To date, of the more than 77,000 meteorites recorded on Earth, only about 400 samples have originated from Mars. That shows the rarity of this artifact.

A small portion of NWA 16788 was separated and sent to a specialized laboratory, where scientists were able to determine the sample's Martian origin by comparing its chemical composition with samples collected by the Viking probes on Mars in 1976.

The analysis revealed that the meteorite was an olivine-micro gabbroic shergottite, a volcanic rock formed from slowly cooling lava containing the minerals olivine and pyroxene. The meteorite’s surface was covered in scorched glass, a remnant of the intense friction as it passed through Earth’s atmosphere, which was the first clue that it was no ordinary rock.

Close-up of Martian rock NWA 16788 - Photo: Sotheby's

Before Sotheby's acquired the meteorite, it was on display at the Italian Space Agency in Rome. However, the identity of its current owner remains a secret. The exact time of its fall to Earth is unknown, but experts believe it may have occurred within the last few years.

The July 16 auction is a highlight of Sotheby's Geek Week 2025, showcasing 122 unique objects, including meteorites, fossils and rare minerals - taking science lovers on an exciting journey through space and time.

Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton auction

The Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton is on display at Sotheby's Auction House in New York, USA.

In addition to the meteorite mentioned above, another highlight of the auction is the juvenile Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton, which is more than 2 meters tall and nearly 3 meters long. The specimen was discovered in 1996 at the Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming - an area famous for its rich fossil deposits.

Experts have reconstructed the skeleton from about 140 real fossil fragments, combined with some simulated parts to create a complete artifact, ready for display.

Ceratosaurus was a bipedal carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic Period about 150 million years ago, with a shape reminiscent of Tyrannosaurus rex but smaller in size - reaching a maximum length of about 7.6 meters compared to 12 meters of T. rex.

This specimen was purchased by Fossilogic Company - a company specializing in fossil restoration and preservation in Utah (USA) - last year.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dau-gia-khoi-da-sao-hoa-lon-nhat-roi-xuong-trai-dat-co-the-toi-4-trieu-usd-20250714151611027.htm