A massive Martian meteorite, the largest ever found on Earth, has sold for a staggering $4.3 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York. The rock, which weighs 54 pounds and was discovered in Niger in November 2023, is 70% larger than any other known Mars fragment on Earth. Sotheby’s called the rock “unbelievably rare.” It is one of about 400 Martian meteorites ever found. The rock’s survival and discovery on dry land, rather than being lost in the ocean, which accounts for about 70% of the Earth’s surface, was deemed a near-miracle by Sotheby’s science vice-chair Cassandra Hatton. With fees and taxes, the rock’s final price totaled $5.3 million.
BBC
