July 14, 2025
New York — A rare 54-pound Martian meteorite, the largest known fragment of the Red Planet ever discovered on Earth, is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s on July 16 as part of its Geek Week 2025 natural history auction.
Designated NWA 16788, the meteorite was unearthed in Niger’s Sahara Desert in November 2023 by a meteorite hunter. Scientists believe it was ejected from Mars by a massive asteroid impact, traveling roughly 140 million miles before crash-landing on Earth.
Measuring nearly 15 x 11 x 6 inches, the red, brown, and gray rock is approximately 70% larger than the next biggest Martian specimen and accounts for nearly 7% of all Martian material ever found on Earth. It has been classified as an olivine-microgabbroic shergottite, a rare type of Martian magma rock containing pyroxene and olivine crystals. Its glassy surface suggests it endured intense heat during atmospheric entry.
“This Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars we have ever found by a long shot,” said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s vice chairman for science and natural history. “It’s more than double the size of what we previously thought was the largest piece of Mars”.
The rock was previously exhibited at the Italian Space Agency in Rome. Sotheby’s has not disclosed the current owner, but the meteorite is expected to fetch between $2 million and $4 million.
The auction will also feature a juvenile Ceratosaurus nasicornis skeleton from the Late Jurassic period, estimated to sell for up to $6 million, alongside other rare fossils, meteorites, and minerals.
Largest Martian Meteorite Ever Found on Earth Heads to Auction in New York
