The largest known piece of Mars on Earth is heading to auction at Sotheby’s Geek Week 2025 in New York. Weighing over 54 pounds (24.67 kg), the Martian meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, is expected to fetch between $2 million and $4 million during the July 16 sale.
The meteorite, believed to have been blasted from Mars by a massive asteroid impact before landing in the Sahara Desert, was discovered in Niger in 2023. It accounts for nearly 7% of all Martian material ever found on Earth, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Also up for bidding is a juvenile Ceratosaurus skeleton from the Late Jurassic period, standing over 6 feet tall and nearly 11 feet long, with an estimated value of $4 million to $6 million.
The auction will include 122 rare items, from meteorites to fossils and minerals, as part of the science-themed “Geek Week” event.
Sotheby’s says NWA 16788 is not only massive but scientifically confirmed as Martian, boasting a unique mineral composition and a glassy surface formed by intense atmospheric entry. Previously displayed at the Italian Space Agency, it remains one of the most exceptional extraterrestrial finds ever offered to the public.
