Ammon News - As rare as Cinderella’s glass slippers, the largest known piece of Mars on Earth is about to go under the hammer. The Martian rock, unlike the fabled footwear, is entirely acquirable. Sotheby’s will play fairy godmother, though you’ll need about $4 million to make the magic happen. This 54-pound piece will go home with the highest bidder on July 16 during a Sotheby’s New York auction.

Called NWA 16788, the specimen is nearly the size of a car tire and will feature in the auction house’s natural-history sale. This discovery is historic because previous Martian finds on Earth have been far smaller fragments. “NWA” stands for Northwest Africa; the reddish-brown stone was unearthed in July 2023 by a meteorite hunter in Niger’s Kefkafa region. After extensive testing, including a trip to the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, it was formally classified as a shergottite meteorite in July 2024.

One doesn’t need to be a science buff to appreciate its significance. The rock is rich in magnesium, while iron is concentrated along its edges, according to Artnet. Fascinatingly, segments of the meteorite contain glass formed when it was blasted off Mars and scorched through Earth’s atmosphere before landing in Niger’s Sahara Desert. Weighing nearly 25 kg, its epic journey alone helps justify the projected $4 million price tag.

“Its immense size and unmistakable red color set it apart as a once-in-a-generation find,” said Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby’s. “This remarkable meteorite provides a tangible connection to the red planet, our celestial neighbor that has long captured the human imagination.”

A couple of years ago, a 30-pound lunar rock came to market for $2.5 million, and with this specimen tipping the scales at 54 pounds, it could easily surpass that estimate. Luxury Launches