Historic Martian Meteorite Sells for Over $8 Million at Auction

In a remarkable event highlighting the intersection of space exploration and high-stakes auctioning, a 25-kilogram meteorite from Mars, designated NWA 16788, was sold for just over $5 million (approximately $7.66 million AUD) at a recent Sotheby’s auction in New York. This meteorite, which traveled an astounding 225 million kilometers to reach Earth, was discovered in the Sahara Desert in Niger in November 2023 by a meteorite hunter, marking it as the largest piece of Martian material ever found on our planet.

The auction, part of Sotheby’s Geek Week 2025, featured an array of rare geological and archaeological items. The bidding for the meteorite began with a pre-auction estimate between $2 million and $4 million but quickly surpassed expectations due to its significant size and scientific importance. The final bid was recorded at $4.3 million, but after including buyer's premiums and other fees, the total sale price reached approximately $5.3 million.

Cassandra Hatton, Vice Chairman for Science and Natural History at Sotheby’s, expressed the uniqueness of this find, stating, "This Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars we have ever found by a long shot, more than double the size of what we previously thought was the largest piece of Mars." The meteorite measures nearly 375mm by 279mm by 152mm and accounts for nearly 7% of all Martian material currently on Earth, as reported by Sotheby’s.

The meteorite’s composition has been confirmed through testing conducted by a specialized laboratory, which revealed it to be an olivine-microgabbroic shergottite, a type of rock formed from the slow cooling of Martian magma. The high heat experienced during its fall through Earth’s atmosphere likely contributed to its glassy surface, providing further evidence of its extraterrestrial origins.

This rare Martian meteorite is one of only about 400 such specimens recognized globally out of over 77,000 meteorites found on Earth. The discovery of NWA 16788 adds to the scientific understanding of Mars and its geological history, as well as the processes that can transport material from one planet to another.

Another highlight of the auction was the sale of a juvenile Ceratosaurus skeleton, which fetched over $30 million, demonstrating the growing interest in rare geological and paleontological artifacts. As the auction continues to attract attention, experts suggest that the sale of such rare items could pave the way for increased interest and investment in planetary science and extraterrestrial exploration.

Overall, the sale of the NWA 16788 meteorite not only underscores the commercial value of rare scientific discoveries but also emphasizes the ongoing fascination with Mars and its potential to reveal secrets about the solar system’s history. As space exploration missions continue to evolve, artifacts like this meteorite serve as tangible connections to our cosmic neighbors, igniting public interest and furthering scientific inquiry into the planet's mysteries.