Some people have Star Wars paintings at home, or a stormtrooper, or maybe a life-size poster of Cristiano Ronaldo… And some want to have a piece of Mars. Yes, just like you read, imagine having a real piece of planet Mars in your house. Well, this is not a joke, it is what is being offered in a historic auction in London. A Martian meteorite, the largest one actually, discovered so far.
The meteorite, identified as NWA 16788, will be sold to the highest bidder, so if you have between 2 and 4 million dollars and don’t know what to spend it on, this is your moment! 24.5 kg of Martian rock that fell in the Sahara Desert after traveling 36 million miles through outer space. Do you want it for yourself?
Where does this meteorite come from?
36 million miles, how many zeros is that? Coming from Mars, it crossed the solar system to end up crashing in Agadez (Niger) where it was discovered in November 2023.
What is it made of?
Well, this rock is not just any space fragment, it is microgabbroic, made up of 21.2% maskelynite, plus olivine and pyroxene (we know we’re saying a lot of strange words, but those are the names of the materials). Its scientific value is incalculable, but not its commercial value.
It weighs more than 24 kg and becomes the largest Martian meteorite ever recovered, someone will be very lucky to display it in their living room!
The space collecting market
And yes, even if it seems strange, yes, there is a space collecting market, there are people who buy meteorite fragments and it’s not the first time one has been sold for such an amount of money. Years ago, the meteorite known as Fukang, discovered in China in the 2000s, was sold in 2008 for an impressive figure. And it’s no wonder, full of olivine crystals, it was auctioned for 2 million dollars.
Fukang meteorite that fell in the mountains near Fukang, China. It is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old. pic.twitter.com/d82DBFFuCG
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) May 22, 2024
And really, it’s no wonder, have you seen those golden reflections inside? They’re beautiful…
Why do so many people pay millions for a rock?
It’s not paying for a rock, it’s having a piece of another planet, just for you! Historical value, scientific value, and unique in the world. It’s status, it’s exclusivity, it’s fascination with the universe in a piece of rock!
And just talking about NWA 16788, we’re talking about the largest fragment of Mars known to date! It is an object that literally has no comparison, and even if it hurts that it ends up in private hands instead of in a museum, it’s a market that, as you can see, moves millions and millions of dollars.
What makes it so valuable?
To this day, fewer than 400 meteorites of Martian origin have been recorded worldwide. Of them, NWA 16788 is the largest ever recovered, a 4.5 billion-year-old time capsule that has traveled from another world.
Save the date: July 16 in London
Sotheby’s (London) will be the stage for this incredible auction. With a starting bid of 1.6 million dollars, the final price is expected to reach between 2 and 4 million!!! The scientific world is watching with interest, but so are millionaires, institutions, and museums eager to add this cosmic gem to their collections.
A piece of Mars on Earth
The world of exclusivity has a new star, a meteorite, the biggest one. Ancient history, connection between Mars and Earth, who wouldn’t want to afford this little treat! And it will have a new owner willing to pay millions of dollars to hold the universe in their hands! Would you spend that money in a meteorite? Tell us!