The heaviest rock from Mars is up for sale: It could cost $4 million

NEWS CENTER

Creation Date: July 06, 2025 16:01

The meteorite, officially named NWA-16788, is the largest individual piece of Mars ever discovered. The previous record-holder, Taoudenni 002, found in Mali in 2021, weighed 14.51 kilograms. The newly found NWA-16788 is 70 percent larger.

This unique meteorite was found by a meteor hunter in the sparsely populated deserts of Agadez, Niger, best known for its dinosaur fossils, in November 2023. A small sample was sent to the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, where it was confirmed to be of Martian origin.

IT MAY HAVE JUST FALLEN

According to Sotheby's, the meteorite was exposed to very little weathering during its time on Earth, meaning it fell to Earth recently.

Scientific analysis shows that the rock contains high amounts of a glass-like mineral called masklynite, and some areas have melted due to the shock of the impact, suggesting it was ejected into space by a large asteroid impact with Mars.

The statement includes the following statements:

“This meteorite was formed by the slow cooling of Martian magma and has a coarse-grained structure consisting mainly of the minerals pyroxene, masklynite and olivine.”

IS THE PURPOSE SCIENCE OR COLLECTION?

However, the sale of such a rare and scientifically valuable specimen disturbed some scientists.

"It would be a huge loss if it disappeared into an oligarch's safe. This stone should be in a museum, studied for science and shared with the public," Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, told CNN.

Julia Cartwright, a planetary scientist at the University of Leicester, on the other hand, offered a more moderate view: "There will be continued scientific interest. The new owner may be interested in this field and we can still learn a lot from it."

AUCTION ON JULY 16

The auction of this priceless stone from Mars will be held on July 16. Who will own the meteorite and what will be done with it will be closely followed by the scientific world.