The Largest Martian Meteorite
The Largest Martian Meteorite Ever Discovered On Earth, Designated Northwest Africa 16788 (Nwa 16788), Recently Sold At Sotheby’s In New York On 16 July 2025, Fetching A Record-Breaking $5.3 Million ($4.3 Million Hammer Price Plus Fees).
Weighing In At 24.67 Kg (54 Pounds), This Towering Shard Of Mars Is About 70% Larger Than The Next Biggest Known Martian Meteorite And Constitutes Roughly 6.5% Of All Mars Rock On Earth.
How Do We Know It's From Mars?
Its Martian Origin Was Confirmed Through Precise Laboratory Tests. Scientists Identified Maskelynite, A High-Pressure Glass Unique To Martian Meteorites, And Measured Its Chemical And Isotopic Composition—Specifically Mineral Content Like Olivine And Pyroxene—Matching Data Collected By Nasa’s Viking Landers On Mars In The 1970s. These Signatures, Combined With Measured Ejection Dating, Firmly Place Its Origin On The Red Planet.
A Journey Across Space And Time
Nwa 16788 Likely Formed As Volcanic Rock Deep On Mars Before Being Blasted Into Space By A Colossal Asteroid Impact Around 5 Million Years Ago. It Then Endured A Trek Of Roughly 225 Million Km (140 Million Miles) Through The Solar System, Eventually Crashing In Niger’s Sahara Desert In November 2023.
The Buyer's Identity Remains A Mystery
Some Prefer To Remain Anonymous For Security Or Philanthropic Reasons. And While Most Objects This Rare Are Tucked Away In Private Collections, Many Collectors Eventually Donate Them To Museums Or Fund Research Projects Using Their Value.
Monisha Ravisetti