Someone paid $5.3 million for a piece of Mars
Martian meteorites of any size are incredibly rare. To get here, an asteroid first hits the Red Planet to eject material from its surface. (Sotheby's says there are only 19 Martian craters large enough to have spit out this one.) That chunk then has to travel 140 million miles through space to reach Earth. Only 400 of the 77,000+ officially recognized meteorites hail from Mars.
The meteorite is known as NWA 16788. Its reddish-brown, scarred exterior almost looks like the Red Planet's surface in miniature.
This is also an exceptionally big Martian meteorite. It's about 70 percent larger than the second-biggest piece of Mars found on Earth. It measures 14.75 x 11 x 6 inches and weighs over 54 lbs. It's big enough to represent about 6.5 percent of all known Martian material on our planet.
The winning bid was for $4.3 million. After fees, that comes out to over $5.3 million, making it the most valuable meteorite ever sold.
Before bidding, the auction house sent a small piece of the space rock to a lab, which confirmed its distinctly Martian chemical composition. Over 21 percent of the rock is composed of maskelynite, a glass produced when the asteroid struck the Martian surface.
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Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
The $5.3 million sale of a precious rock from Mars belonging to Niger spurs outrage
A rare Martian meteorite unearthed in Niger sold for a whopping $5.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York, prompting outrage from scientists and cultural heritage defenders who are now seeking answers and its return. A Martian meteorite weighing 24.6 kilograms and discovered in Niger was auctioned for $5.3 million at Sotheby's New York. The meteorite, known as NWA 16788, is the largest Martian rock ever found on Earth, estimated to have traveled 140 million miles. Concerns were raised about the legality and ethical implications of exporting this significant artifact from Niger. In November 2023, a meteorite hunter discovered NWA 16788 in the Agadez area of northern Niger. It weighs more than 24.6 kilograms (54 pounds) and is the biggest Martian rock ever recovered on Earth, according to Sotheby's. Experts estimate it traveled 140 million miles from Mars' surface, likely dislodged by an ancient asteroid impact, before landing in the Sahara sands. The auction started at $1.9 million and quickly jumped to $4.3 million, with premiums and fees bringing the total to $5.3 million. However, Sotheby's has not revealed the identity of either the buyer or the seller, heightening speculation over how such an important alien item departed its nation of origin. The auction took place during the auction house's "Geek Week," which features goods related to natural history, science, and space. A private gallery in Tuscany, Italy, and the Italian Space Agency had both previously exhibited the rock. Conversation on meteorites in Africa The specimen's provenance remains a matter of debate, however, as reported by Forbes. 'The NWA 16788 meteorite was shipped and transported in line with the standard procedure of all meteorites that come out of Niger. As with everything we sell, all relevant documentation was in order at each stage of its journey,' Sotheby's tells Forbes Africa. According to Giovanni Pratesi, a professor at the University of Florence in Italy and one of the authors of two of the three papers referenced in the Sotheby's catalogue, he was 'only involved in the characterization and study of this specimen (NWA 16788), without having received, for a while, any information about provenance.' 'In fact, the place of recovery of the meteorites is not so important for science because their real provenance, of course, is not the Earth but other bodies of the Solar System,' Pratesi says. 'Anyway, there is no doubt that the Sahara represents a very important reservoir of extraterrestrial material. 'A confirmation of this is given by the high number of meteorite specimens bearing the name NWA (North West Africa) that is used when the exact place of recovery is not known. In this respect, I believe that African countries should organize a network to recover and valorize these meteorites.' The sale has reignited concerns about the unregulated trade of meteorites, particularly those discovered in developing countries. Nigerien officials and international cultural watchdogs are now questioning the legality and ethics of the meteorite's export, with many demanding its immediate return. 'It was discovered in Niger? How come it ended up being sold in New York?' says Alia Baré, a fashion designer and daughter of former Nigerien president Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara, to Forbes Africa. 'It is a crucial matter of sovereignty… This is a national treasure that shouldn't have been sold. Things have to change,' she added.
Yahoo
3 days ago
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The largest Mars rock on Earth is up for auction in NYC — it could be yours for $4 million (or more)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NEW YORK CITY — Tucked away in a building on the corner of 72nd Street and York Avenue in Lenox Hill, an extraterrestrial marvel sits sturdily on a mirrored pedestal. It's the largest Mars rock on planet Earth — and it turns out its 54-pound (25-kilogram), ashy, terracotta structure isn't as priceless as you'd expect. This Mars rock is up for auction at Sotheby's in New York City this week, which is why it's currently on display in the Upper East Side. As of now, it's expected to sell for between $2 million and $4 million, but it could very well sell for far more. "At the end of the day, it's the bidders who tell us what things are worth, not me, not anyone else. The estimates are just there to give people an indication," Cassandra Hatton, the vice chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby's, told "Last summer, I sold the Stegosaurus 'Apex.' For the Stegosaurus, the estimate was [$4 million to $6 million], and it sold for $44.6 million." Hatton said she first heard about the Mars rock (formally called NWA 16788) about a year ago from the rock's seller, who learned about the specimen from a meteorite hunter in Africa. ("NWA" is short for "Northwest Africa," the region where the rock was found.) "When they first acquired it, they called me right away," she said. "I said, 'All right, we have got to get it tested; we need to have it published in the meteoritical bulletin." As such, the seller went through several formal steps to document and test the rock as well as have it published upon. That testing process was rather rigorous for a few reasons. First of all, unlike lunar meteorite candidates, possible Mars meteorites have no pristine samples to be compared with. During the Apollo years, astronauts physically brought hundreds of pounds of moon rocks back to Earth, and those samples still serve as the isotopic reference point for determining whether a rock is indeed a lunar meteorite or just a peculiar piece of our planet. Astronauts haven't visited the Red Planet yet, so of course we don't have any Mars rock reference points — and though there is still talk of a possible Mars Sample Return program to bring home samples that NASA's Perseverance rover has been collecting from the Martian surface over the last few years, the timeline on that is as unclear as can be. It may even be cancelled, if the Trump administration's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal is passed as-is by Congress. Alas, the testing team had to come up with a workaround, and they did so by considering a few clues we have about what a Martian meteorite should look like. How do you verify a Mars rock? Imagine something huge impacting another world — in this case, an asteroid striking Mars long ago. As a consequence of that impact, there'd have been a bunch of stuff that shot upward during the crash — chunks of the Martian surface, particles of dust, and who knows what else. If any of that debris managed to shoot far enough to exit the Martian atmosphere, it'd have been possible for those travelers to reach Earth, travel through our atmosphere and land somewhere on our world. Because of this journey, Martian atmospheric data is important to consider when verifying whether something is a Mars rock — and thanks to the twin Viking landers that NASA sent to Mars in the '70s, scientists indeed have that atmospheric data. "You'll find little gas pockets in a lot of Martian meteorites," Hatton said. "We've cut those pockets open and compared the gas in those pockets to the gas that we analyzed from the Martian atmosphere — and if they match up, then we know that rock came from Mars." The next step has to do with the general composition of a meteorite. Typically, Hatton explains, meteorites contain what's known as "Maskelynite" glass, which forms as the result of the big crash that forced the meteorite off the surface of a world. "That's layer one," she explained. "Is there Maskelynite glass in this rock? If it is, it's a meteorite, because we only find that in meteorites." "Then it's very easy," she said. "What's the [chemical makeup] of this rock? Compare it to a [Mars] rock that we have that we found in the desert — if they match, then boom. That's Martian." The market price of Mars Usually, pricing rare items that come into Sotheby's isn't too much of an ordeal. For instance, if you're trying to figure out the value of an antique necklace, you can look at the value of the stones and metals in the piece, think about the fame of the designer and look into how much other items from the same era cost. Similar thought processes help auction houses estimate the value of objects like photographs, autographs, technology and art. "If I have a Picasso, I just compare it to the other Picassos," Hatton said. "Is it bigger, blue or older? Is it depicting Marie-Thérèse [Walter, a French model and muse of the artist]?" The same can't be said for rare scientific items. "I really have to think about the context, the background, the history, the rarity, the significance, and then I put an estimate on it," Hatton said. In the case of the Mars rock soon to be up for auction, she said the cost estimate of $2 million to $4 million came from the fact that it's the biggest Red Planet meteorite we have. For context, other, smaller Martian meteorites have sold for between $20,000 and $80,000, Hatton said, but she emphasized that bigger isn't exactly always better in the auction world. Sometimes, the bigger you get, the more likely it is for the bidding price to go down. "How many people could fit a 100-foot long sauropod in their house? Nobody, not even every museum could fit a sauropod that's 100 feet long," she said, as an example. "So, then your market gets much smaller. That's also something to consider: Who could maintain this? Who could have it in their home?" But that reasoning doesn't really apply in this case, because NWA 16788 — though huge for a Mars meteorite — can still fit into an average-sized backpack. So, Hatton calls the maximum $4 million figure on the Mars rock at hand a conservative estimate. But beyond all the statistics, there's also an unusual aesthetic value to consider with NWA 16788. "It also looks just like the surface of the Red Planet," she said. "Most other Martian meteorites that we find are really small, thin slices, and when you first look at them, you would never guess that they're Martian." "This one has really amazing fusion crust on the outside," she added. "If you look closely at it, you could almost use it as a film set for a movie about Mars — put little teeny people on there, because you could see the grooves and the ripples and the mountains on it." But, well, does this belong in a museum? When asked why she believes a specimen so brilliant it can be called the "largest Mars rock on Earth" should be auctioned off to a collector rather than donated to a public museum or scientific institution — it's no secret that many would argue for the latter — Hatton looked back at the history of museums as a whole. "If we didn't have personal private collectors, we would not have museums," she said. "Many of my clients give the things to museums or loan them to museums." She also explained that having to pay for something may make one more likely to care for their property: "If it's precious to you monetarily, you take care of it. Having this value tied to the object helps ensure that it is taken care of." "There are some museums that don't have the funding and the staff to properly care for objects," she added. "So, a lot of times, the private collectors are saving these objects. They're making sure that they're taken care of." Hatton also pointed out that many major collectors loan their items to museums, and as part of that loan, offer extra money to have staff take care of the items or fund postdoctoral researchers to study them. Related Stories: — Ouch! Carlo Rambaldi's original screen-used 'E.T.' model might reach $1 million at Sotheby's auction — The secret of why Mars grew cold and dry may be locked away in its rocks — Space auction: Sally Ride memorabilia collection sells for $145,000 "Part of what I am hoping, and I think I am achieving with a lot of these sales, is raising the profile of all of these different types of space, sci-tech and natural history objects, and helping people understand how important they are." And though Hatton doesn't allow herself to place her own personal value estimate on the Mars rock — or anything she's auctioning off, for that matter — she highlighted that auctions aren't always purely about the items themselves. "I've had people cry after they've bought things at an auction. I've cried when I've had people contact me and say, 'will you sell this?' because there [are] your white whales — your grails that you hope maybe one day you'll get to see. I always root for people to get what they want, because it's not just about the object. They're kind of chasing a dream." Solve the daily Crossword
Business Upturn
4 days ago
- Business Upturn
For All Mankind Season 5: Release date rumors, cast updates and what to expect next
By Aman Shukla Published on July 19, 2025, 20:04 IST If you're as hooked on For All Mankind as we are, you're probably counting down the days until Season 5 hits Apple TV+. This sci-fi gem, with its wild alternate take on the space race, left us hanging after Season 4's jaw-dropping finale in January 2024. So, what's the latest on the next chapter? Let's dive into the release date buzz, who's coming back, who's new and what we can expect from this Martian adventure. Release Date Rumours: When Will For All Mankind Season 5 Premiere? Apple TV+ gave the green light for Season 5 back in April 2024, which was music to fans' ears. They also teased a spinoff called Star City, but more on that later. As for when we'll see new episodes, there's no official date yet, but we can piece together some clues. The show usually takes about 15 to 18 months between seasons. Season 4 dropped in November 2023, so we're looking at late 2025—think October to December—for Season 5. Filming kicked off in July 2024 and wrapped by mid-December, which keeps that timeline on track. That said, the 2023 writers' strike threw a wrench in things, delaying the writers' room. Some folks on X are whispering about a possible early 2026 premiere if the show's heavy CGI takes longer than expected. Cast Updates: Who's Returning and Who's New? For All Mankind is known for its evolving ensemble cast, driven by decade-long time jumps that age characters or introduce new ones. Season 5, set in the 2010s following the Season 4 finale's flash-forward to 2012, will likely follow suit. Here's a breakdown of returning and new cast members: Returning Cast Joel Kinnaman as Ed Baldwin : The veteran astronaut, now in his 70s, remains a cornerstone despite the challenges of aging makeup. His arc will likely explore personal and professional struggles on Mars. Wrenn Schmidt as Margo Madison : After taking the fall for Aleida's rogue code and defecting to the Soviet Union, Margo's return is confirmed. Her story may involve a release from FBI custody to tackle a space-related crisis. Krys Marshall as Danielle Poole : Surviving Season 4's cliffhanger, Danielle's leadership role is expected to continue. Cynthy Wu as Kelly Baldwin : Kelly's journey as a mother and scientist on Mars will likely deepen. Toby Kebbell as Miles Dale : The former oil rig worker turned Martian resident is set to return, possibly exploring his role in the colony's expansion. Edi Gathegi as Dev Ayesa : Dev's vision for a self-sustaining Mars colony was central to Season 4's finale, making his return pivotal. Coral Peña as Aleida Rosales, Tyner Rushing as Samantha Massey, Daniel Stern as Eli Hobson, and Svetlana Efremova as Irina Morozova are also expected to reprise their roles, though time jumps may alter their prominence. New Cast Members Mireille Enos as Celia Boyd : A series regular playing a member of the Peacekeeper Security Force on Mars. Costa Ronin : A Soviet politician and former cosmonaut, adding political intrigue. Tyler Labine as Fred : A recurring role as a Mars Peacekeeper. Barrett Carnahan as Marcus : A recent high school graduate living on Mars. Sean Kaufman as Alex Poletov Baldwin : Ed Baldwin's grandson, tying into the show's generational themes. Ruby Cruz as Lily Dale and Ines Asserson as A.J. Jarrett: A U.S. Marine gearing up for a space mission, adding fresh dynamics. These additions suggest Season 5 will balance legacy characters with new faces to reflect the growing Martian colony and its challenges. What to Expect in For All Mankind Season 5 Season 4 ended with a bang, jumping to 2012 and showing the Goldilocks asteroid being mined at Kuznetsov Station. That sets up a lot for Season 5. Here's what we think we're in for: Mars Takes Centre Stage The Happy Valley colony is growing, but it's not all smooth sailing. The asteroid's resources are a game-changer, and we expect fights over who controls them. Showrunner Matt Wolpert teased that Dev's vision for a self-sustaining Mars will be huge, but it'll come with challenges—think supply shortages, power struggles, or even sabotage. Politics and Tough Choices This show's always been great at mixing space adventures with Earthly drama. With new characters like Ronin's Soviet politician, we might see tensions flare between nations or even within the colony. Margo's situation—stuck after her defection—could spark a redemption arc or something darker. Plus, the show's alternate history loves exploring how space tech reshapes life. Remember those proto-smartphones in Season 3? By 2012, we might see even wilder innovations. Big Twists and Tech Ronald D. Moore, one of the creators, promised 'big changes' for both Mars and Earth. The show's got a knack for surprises—Season 4's non-lethal cliffhanger was a curveball—and I'm expecting more. Some set photos hint at missions beyond Mars, maybe to outer planets. The tech will likely feel futuristic yet grounded, keeping that For All Mankind vibe where history feels familiar but just a bit off. The Star City Spinoff: A New Frontier Apple's not stopping with Season 5. They're launching Star City , a spinoff diving into the Soviet side of the space race. It's being called a 'paranoid thriller,' focusing on cosmonauts and Russian politics. Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi are running the show, which makes me think it'll have the same sharp writing. No word on a release date, but 2026 feels likely, maybe alongside Season 5 or after. It's a bold move to expand this universe, and I'm curious how it'll tie in. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
