Prime Highlights
- A record-breaking Martian meteorite of $54 pounds will be auctioned for as much as $4 million next month by Sotheby’s.
- The specimen accounts for almost 7% of all Martian meteorite material on Earth.
Key Fact
- There are fewer than 400 authenticated Martian meteorites on Earth.
- NWA 16788, the biggest, was found in 2023 in the Sahara Desert.
Key Background
Most valuable among them is 24.7-kilogram (54-pound) Martian meteorite NWA 16788 due to its scientific and collector value. The meteorite was found in November 2023 in Niger’s Sahara Desert and is confirmed to have originated on Mars due to its composition. A “shergottite,” it chemically matches volcanic samples analyzed by NASA missions on the planet.
Its diameter is an odd extraterrestrial specimen. Approximately 70% larger than the largest among currently known formerly named Martian meteorites. The single sample accounts for some 6–7% of planet Earth’s Martian meteorite mass and thus is a significant discovery for space enthusiasts and planetary scientists. Dark fusion crust and regmaglypted rock surface are also suggestive of relatively recent fall and preservation.
NWA 16788 is the highlight of Sotheby’s “Geek Week” sale in New York and should realize between $2 million and $4 million. The meteorite has already been shown in Italy and received worldwide interest from museums and collectors. Although the price is also a measure of the relative rarity of the item, precious scientific material is making some scientists reluctant to enter private collections.
The authorities are less of an accord. There are some who believe that the meteorite must remain public or institutional property to be mined for ongoing research and education. There are some who feel that private collectors continue to serve science through sponsorship and publicity hype. Either way, NWA 16788’s sale is one for the record book in the planetary science market of collecting and space history.
