Martian Meteorite Went For $423 Million At Sotheby’s

An “unbelievably rare” portion of Mars, nan largest ever recovered connected Earth, sold astatine a New York auction connected Wednesday, July 16th, for a $5.3 cardinal (approximately 4.5 cardinal euros and 3.9 cardinal pounds) bid. Now, Níger and experts are asking whether nan waste was ineligible and really it was smuggled retired of nan country.

The meteorite known arsenic NWA 16788 weighs 54lb (24.5kg) and is astir 15in (38.1cm) long, according to Sotheby’s. It was discovered successful a distant region of Niger successful November 2023 and is 70 per cent larger than nan adjacent biggest portion of Mars that has been recovered, nan auction location said. Meteorites are nan remains of stone near aft an asteroid aliases comet passes done Earth’s atmosphere.

“NWA 16788 is covered successful a reddish-brown fusion crust, giving it an unmistakable Martian hue,” Sotheby’s described connected its website. 

Photo from Níger Government X page/@NigerAR

Auctioning it was a ‘brazen act’

The BBC explained that nan waste of meteorites has precocious go comparable to nan creation market, pinch aesthetics and rarity affecting nan price.

Palaeontologist, Prof. Paul Sereno, told BBC nan waste of nan meteorite was “brazen”, and said he believes it should beryllium backmost successful nan West African landlocked federation of Níger.

On July 20th, nan Nigerian authorities released an extended statement connected X condemning nan auction.

“The Nigerien authorities has opened a general investigation into nan sale, which it describes arsenic “comparable to illicit world trafficking,” nan charismatic connection adds.

Sotheby‘s powerfully disputes this, saying nan correct procedures were followed.

Secrets of Mars

The connection besides says scientists person criticised nan waste to a backstage individual alternatively of a nationalist institution, because “this ample stone could person revealed nan secrets of Mars—if only scientists had entree to it.” 

Palaeontologist Steve Brusatte (University of Edinburgh) said nan meteorite risked “ending up successful a backstage vault,” depriving subject of a valuable sample. 

According to nan Italian article, NWA 16788 was “sold by nan section organization to an world dealer” and was past transferred to a backstage assemblage successful nan Italian metropolis of Arezzo.

Many questions unanswered

The University of Florence’s mag described nan personification arsenic “an important Italian assemblage owner”.

A squad of scientists led by Giovanni Pratesi, a mineralogy professor astatine nan university, was capable to analyse it to study much astir its building and wherever it came from. The meteorite was past concisely connected show past twelvemonth successful Italy, including astatine nan Italian Space Agency successful Rome.

It was adjacent seen successful nationalist successful New York past month, minus 2 slices that stayed successful Italy for much research. How it sewage to NYC remains a mystery, arsenic does nan existent owner.