A rare meteorite from Mars, known as NWA 16788, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York City on July 16, 2023, with bidding expected to start at $1.6 million. Experts estimate that this remarkable piece could fetch between $2 million and $4 million due to its extraordinary rarity and significance as the largest known piece of Mars found on Earth.
According to Sotheby’s, NWA 16788 was discovered on November 16, 2023, by a meteorite hunter in Niger’s remote Agadez Region. The meteorite weighs approximately 24.67 kilograms, or 54 pounds, which represents about 6.5% of all Martian material currently documented on Earth. Its dimensions are 14.75 by 11 by 6 inches, making it considerably larger than the next biggest piece of Martian rock.
Unique Characteristics and History
The auction house describes NWA 16788 as “an incredibly rare discovery.” This meteorite was ejected from the Martian surface following a massive asteroid impact, traveling an astonishing 140 million miles through space before entering Earth’s atmosphere and landing in the Sahara Desert. The rock is covered with a reddish-brown fusion crust, which imparts an unmistakable Martian hue, and features surface depressions formed by the intense heat experienced during its atmospheric entry.
Sotheby’s has highlighted that NWA 16788 has minimal terrestrial weathering, suggesting that its physical and chemical properties have remained largely unchanged since its arrival on Earth. “In other words, NWA 16788 is likely a relative newcomer here on Earth, having fallen from outer space rather recently,” the auction house stated.
Currently, there are over 77,000 recognized meteorites on Earth, but only around 400 are confirmed to originate from Mars, with a total weight of approximately 825 pounds. This further emphasizes the rarity of NWA 16788, which is about 70% larger than any other Martian meteorite previously found.
Part of a Larger Auction Event
The auction for NWA 16788 is part of Sotheby’s Natural History sale, which includes a range of extraordinary artifacts such as meteorites, minerals, and fossils. Among the items for sale is a mounted skeleton of a juvenile Ceratosaurus nasicornis, expected to sell for between $4 million and $6 million.
The live auction is set to begin at 10:00 a.m. on July 16, and interest is anticipated to be high given the rarity and significance of the items on offer. As collectors and enthusiasts prepare to bid, the sale of NWA 16788 stands to capture the attention of both the scientific community and the public alike.
