by The largest piece of Mars on Earth is sold and becomes the most expensive space rock in the world.
The 54 -pound Martian Rock is expected to sell for 2 million and 4 million US dollars (£ 1.5 million and £ 2.9 million) if it will be on sale at Sotheby’s on July 16.
Meteorite NWA 16788 is sold by collector Luca Calberi, who received it after meteorites found 90 km west of the Chirfa oasis in northwest of Niger on November 16, 2023.
The analysis of small fragments of the rust red showed that it was the Mars origin and had been thrown into space at high speed after the planet had been hit by an asteroid at some point in the distant past.
It is not known how long the rock has been on Earth, but it is far the largest intact Martian rock in the world.
“It is just a huge piece of Mars, it is the biggest piece of Mars on earth,” said Cassandra Hatton, Senior Vice President for Science and Natural History at Sotheby’s in New York, who heads the sale, to The Telegraph.
“It is almost twice the size of the meteorite, from which we previously held the largest piece of Mars on Earth, and it is £ 54.”
Scarce and considerable
Meteorites are even rare objects, but Martian meteorites are even less common, only around 400 on earth.
Most of such copies of our heavenly neighbors are tiny fragments that make the NWA 16788 plate even more remarkable.
The combined weight of all Mars meteorites known on Earth is around 925 pounds, which makes the largest specimen, NWA 16788, more than six percent of the total mass.
“The only way, like something of this size or really all meteorites that come from the surface of the Mars, is a massive asteroid strike,” said Ms. Hatton.
“We know that there have been about 19 asteroid strikes that had a sufficient influence to send something of this size to earth. But it is impossible to know which one was responsible for it.”
The lot is one of the fixed -tent items for sale as part of the “Geek Week” of the auction house, which was founded by Ms. Hatton in 2017.
Another article, which is sold on July 16, is a youthful Ceratosaurus dinosaur -Fossil, which is considered the only one of its kind of world.
It is about 6 feet 3 inches tall and 10 feet 8 inches long and is one of only four Ceratosaurus in the world, the only young person and the best condition.
This copy was found in Wyoming in 2016 and has a value between $ 4 million and 6 million US dollars (2.9 million GBP and £ 4.4).
Sotheby’s sold the famous Sue T-Rex in 1997 and the Apex Stegosaurus for more than $ 44 million (£ 32 million) last year.
The huge Mars rock could not only be the most expensive space that was ever sold, but also the most expensive place in connection with the room.
Buzz Aldrins Apollo 11 flight jacket collected 2.8 million US dollars (£ 2 million), while the bag used by Neil Armstrong to Apollo 11 to bring back the first rehearsals of the moon that were ever sold for $ 1.8 million.
Meteorites as a natural history object
But despite the rocks and space suits that all have a link to the room, Ms. Hatton sees her as two separate types of elements.
“If you look at the market for space research, it really focuses on the trips of mankind into space,” she said.
“In this market, it is really more about the artifacts used by astronauts to climb from earth and explore the planets.
“I think of meteorites more than a natural history object. We had nothing to do with the fact that this thing comes here. I am not sure whether it would really be a more precise comparison if this would be sold with a high estimate to say that it is the most expensive space object because I only think that these are completely different markets.”
The market for natural history, space and technology is booming, she said.
“The first Geek week was such a success and we saw that people really react to such objects,” said Ms. Hatton.
“People love space, the history of science and technology, the natural history, the fossils, the meteorites, the minerals – our customers are really very, really in hand.
“And in particular the natural history, because these are objects that are both scientifically important, but also aesthetically appealing. These are cool things that people put on their desk, put them in their meeting room or live in their house.”
