A 54-pound chunk of Mars, believed to be the largest Martian meteorite ever discovered on Earth, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s New York on July 16 with an estimate of $2 million to $4 million. Named NWA 16788, the meteorite was found in November 2023 in Niger’s Agadez region and accounts for 6.5 percent of all known Martian material on Earth, making it 70 percent larger than the next largest piece. Sotheby’s is billing it as the most valuable meteorite ever offered at auction, and it will be on public view from July 8–15 before the live sale.
The auction matters because it highlights the intersection of natural history and the art market, with Sotheby’s positioning a scientific specimen as a luxury collectible. The meteorite’s rarity—only about 400 Martian meteorites have ever been identified—and its record size underscore the growing market for extraterrestrial objects. The sale also reflects broader public fascination with space and the commodification of rare natural artifacts.