A Martian meteorite, NWA 16788, was sold at a Sotheby's auction (via PCWorld) for more than $5.3 million, making it the most expensive meteorite sale in history. The stone was found in 2023 in the Sahara Desert in Niger.
Martian meteorites are extremely rare - only about 400 of the more than 77 thousand officially registered meteorites are of Martian origin. It is reported that the meteorite fell to Earth after an asteroid hit Mars. As a result of the impact, fragments of the solid surface of the red planet fell into space, one of which flew 225 million kilometers to the surface of the Earth.
NWA 16788 measures 37.5 × 28 × 15 cm and weighs 24.5 kg, about 6.5% of the weight of all known Martian debris on Earth. Its surface is reddish-brown, with numerous cracks, resembling a miniature Martian landscape.
Before the auction, the meteorite underwent laboratory examination, which confirmed its Martian origin. In particular, more than 21% of its composition is maskelinite, a glass formed when an asteroid hit the surface of Mars.
The starting bid for the NWA 16788 meteorite at Sotheby's was $2 million. Organizers had predicted the final price would be in the range of $2–4 million. However, intense bidding, which lasted 15 minutes, increased the amount to $4.3 million. Including additional fees, the final value of the lot was $5.3 million, which became a record for meteorites sold at auction. The name of the buyer was not disclosed.