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| Largest Mars rock ever sells for $4.3m bid at auction | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| An "unbelievably rare" piece of Mars - the largest ever found on Earth - sold at a New York auction on Wednesday for a $4.3m (£3.2m) bid. | |
| The meteorite known as NWA 16788 weighs 54lb (24.5kg) and is nearly 15in (38.1cm) long, according to Sotheby's. | The meteorite known as NWA 16788 weighs 54lb (24.5kg) and is nearly 15in (38.1cm) long, according to Sotheby's. |
| It was discovered in a remote region of Niger in November 2023 and is 70% larger than the next biggest piece of Mars that has been recovered, the auction house said. | It was discovered in a remote region of Niger in November 2023 and is 70% larger than the next biggest piece of Mars that has been recovered, the auction house said. |
| Meteorites are the remains of rock left after an asteroid or comet passes through Earth's atmosphere. | Meteorites are the remains of rock left after an asteroid or comet passes through Earth's atmosphere. |
| Additional taxes and fees brought the total price of the rock up to about $5.3m, Sotheby's said. | |
| Sotheby's auction house described the meteorite, a reddish brown rock, as "unbelievably rare". Only about 400 Martian meteorites have ever been found on Earth. | Sotheby's auction house described the meteorite, a reddish brown rock, as "unbelievably rare". Only about 400 Martian meteorites have ever been found on Earth. |
| "This is the largest piece of Mars on planet Earth. The odds of this getting from there to here are astronomically small," Cassandra Hatton, vice-chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby's, said in a video posted online. | "This is the largest piece of Mars on planet Earth. The odds of this getting from there to here are astronomically small," Cassandra Hatton, vice-chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby's, said in a video posted online. |
| "Remember that approximately 70% of Earth's surface is covered in water. So we're incredibly lucky that this landed on dry land, instead of the middle of the ocean, where we could actually find it." | "Remember that approximately 70% of Earth's surface is covered in water. So we're incredibly lucky that this landed on dry land, instead of the middle of the ocean, where we could actually find it." |
| It remains unclear where the meteorite will end up as information about the sale will remain private. | It remains unclear where the meteorite will end up as information about the sale will remain private. |
| At the Wednesday auction, which featured more than 100 items, a Ceratosaurus skeleton from the late Jurassic period sold for $26m and the skull of a Pachycephalosaurus sold for $1.4m. | At the Wednesday auction, which featured more than 100 items, a Ceratosaurus skeleton from the late Jurassic period sold for $26m and the skull of a Pachycephalosaurus sold for $1.4m. |