Largest Martian Meteorite Ever Found to Be Auctioned at Sotheby’s

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54-pound Mars rock discovered in Sahara Desert stirs excitement, debate as Sotheby’s prepares for landmark space auction

By TRH Features Desk

NEW DELHI, July 15, 2025—A giant Martian meteorite is up for sale. It weighs 54 pounds and is the largest known piece of Mars ever found on Earth.

The rock, named NWA 16788, was discovered in November 2023. It was found in Agadez, a region in Niger’s Sahara Desert. Sotheby’s will auction it in New York on July 16. Experts estimate it could sell for $2 million to $4 million.

“This is the largest piece of Mars we’ve ever seen,” said Cassandra Hatton of Sotheby’s. She told ABC News the meteorite is more than double the size of the previous record-holder.

The rock measures 15 x 11 x 6 inches. It accounts for nearly 7% of all Martian meteorites known on Earth.

Covered in a reddish-brown crust, the meteorite has a distinct Martian appearance. Scientists say it likely came from Mars after a massive asteroid impact.

It then travelled 140 million miles before landing in the Sahara. Its glassy surface, formed during entry into Earth’s atmosphere, confirmed its alien origin.

The rock is a type of shergottite, formed from slowly cooled Martian magma. It was analyzed in China at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum. A reference sample is stored at Purple Mountain Observatory. Experts say it’s in excellent condition, with little weathering from Earth.

“This is not just a rare rock,” Hatton said in a Sotheby’s video. “It’s a scientific treasure that could help us learn more about Mars.” But not everyone is cheering.

Some scientists want the rock in a public museum, not a private vault. “It belongs to the world,” said Steve Brusatte, paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh.

Others, like Caltech geologist Paul Asimow, suggested a compromise. “If a collector buys a big sample, they could donate a small portion to science,” he told Artnet News.

Only 400 Martian meteorites exist among over 77,000 known meteorites. That makes NWA 16788 extremely rare. It was previously displayed at the Italian Space Agency in Rome.

The auction is part of Sotheby’s Geek Week 2025. Other lots include a juvenile Ceratosaurus skeleton valued up to $6 million.

Bidding for the meteorite starts at $1.6 million. Sotheby’s is also accepting cryptocurrency for payment. Some posts on X suggest the meteorite could set a record for the most expensive space rock ever sold. Collectors and space lovers now await the historic sale. For one bidder, it could mean owning a piece of the Red Planet.

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