Latest news with #MarsMeteorite
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A Rare Rock from Another Planet Is Up for Auction — and It's Expected to Sell for This Many Millions
The largest rock from Mars ever found on Earth is going up for auction at Sotheby's on July 16 The meteorite, known as NWA 16788, weighs about 54 lbs. and is approximately 15 inches at its widest point There are only about 400 Martian rocks on Earth at this timeThe largest piece of Mars rock on Earth is scheduled to go up for auction — and it may sell for as much as $4 million. Martian Meteorite NWA 16788 is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's on July 16, per a release on the famous auction house's website. The meteorite weighs about 54 lbs. and is approximately 15 inches across at its widest section, per the release. The house also stated that the 'incredibly rare discovery' was ejected from the surface of Mars after a 'massive asteroid strike' and eventually landed 140 million miles away in the Sahara Desert. The rock was discovered on Nov. 16, 2023, by a meteorite hunter in a remote part of Niger in West Africa. It is about 70% larger than the next biggest piece of Mars rock on Earth, per Sotheby's. Sotheby's also stated that there are only about 400 known Mars rocks on Earth, which makes up less than 1% of all known space rocks on our planet. 'NWA 16788 shows minimal terrestrial weathering, indicating that its physical and chemical makeup have not been significantly altered since its arrival in the Sahara Desert,' read the release. 'In other words, NWA 16788 is likely a relative newcomer here on Earth, having fallen from outer space rather recently.' The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at Scotland's University of Edinburgh, told CNN that the fact that the Mars rock is being sold — as opposed to donated to science — isn't necessarily a good thing. 'It would be a shame if it disappeared into the vault of an oligarch. It belongs in a museum, where it can be studied, and where it can be enjoyed by children and families and the public at large,' Brusatte said to the outlet. However, other experts said private collecting of such objects can actually benefit scientific research overall. 'Ultimately, if there was no market for searching, collecting and selling meteorites, we would not have anywhere near as many in our collections — and this drives the science!' Julia Cartwright, a planetary scientist and Independent Research Fellow at the University of Leicester, told CNN. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'If samples weren't being found, we would not have anywhere near as much to study, and so wouldn't know as much as we do,' she added. A meteorite specifically describes a piece of rock that has survived a 'trip' through Earth's atmosphere and has landed intact on the surface of the Earth, per NASA. They differ from meteoroids, which are defined as rocks still in space, as well as meteors, which describe rocks that enter the atmosphere at a high speed and burn up on arrival — sometimes creating what are known as 'shooting stars.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A Rare Rock from Another Planet Is Up for Auction — and It's Expected to Sell for This Many Millions
The largest rock from Mars ever found on Earth is going up for auction at Sotheby's on July 16 The meteorite, known as NWA 16788, weighs about 54 lbs. and is approximately 15 inches at its widest point There are only about 400 Martian rocks on Earth at this timeThe largest piece of Mars rock on Earth is scheduled to go up for auction — and it may sell for as much as $4 million. Martian Meteorite NWA 16788 is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's on July 16, per a release on the famous auction house's website. The meteorite weighs about 54 lbs. and is approximately 15 inches across at its widest section, per the release. The house also stated that the 'incredibly rare discovery' was ejected from the surface of Mars after a 'massive asteroid strike' and eventually landed 140 million miles away in the Sahara Desert. The rock was discovered on Nov. 16, 2023, by a meteorite hunter in a remote part of Niger in West Africa. It is about 70% larger than the next biggest piece of Mars rock on Earth, per Sotheby's. Sotheby's also stated that there are only about 400 known Mars rocks on Earth, which makes up less than 1% of all known space rocks on our planet. 'NWA 16788 shows minimal terrestrial weathering, indicating that its physical and chemical makeup have not been significantly altered since its arrival in the Sahara Desert,' read the release. 'In other words, NWA 16788 is likely a relative newcomer here on Earth, having fallen from outer space rather recently.' The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at Scotland's University of Edinburgh, told CNN that the fact that the Mars rock is being sold — as opposed to donated to science — isn't necessarily a good thing. 'It would be a shame if it disappeared into the vault of an oligarch. It belongs in a museum, where it can be studied, and where it can be enjoyed by children and families and the public at large,' Brusatte said to the outlet. However, other experts said private collecting of such objects can actually benefit scientific research overall. 'Ultimately, if there was no market for searching, collecting and selling meteorites, we would not have anywhere near as many in our collections — and this drives the science!' Julia Cartwright, a planetary scientist and Independent Research Fellow at the University of Leicester, told CNN. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'If samples weren't being found, we would not have anywhere near as much to study, and so wouldn't know as much as we do,' she added. A meteorite specifically describes a piece of rock that has survived a 'trip' through Earth's atmosphere and has landed intact on the surface of the Earth, per NASA. They differ from meteoroids, which are defined as rocks still in space, as well as meteors, which describe rocks that enter the atmosphere at a high speed and burn up on arrival — sometimes creating what are known as 'shooting stars.' Read the original article on People
BBC News
4 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
A giant piece of Mars could sell for $4 million
A giant chunk of the planet Mars could sell for up to an eye-watering $4 million at auction later this month, making it the most valuable meteorite ever sold. The piece of the Red Planet, called NWA 16788, is one of only 400 recognised Martian meteorites on believed to have broken off Mars after a massive asteroid strike, travelling 140 million miles through space before landing in the Sahara desert. The massive block of rock is set to be sold on the 16th July by the auction house Sotheby's in New expected to fetch between $2 million and $4 million. What else do you know about the Mars meteorite? The chunk of Mars rock was first discovered back in November 2023 in the Agadez Region in Niger which is in West Africa. Pieces of Mars found on Earth are incredibly rare, making up just a tiny percentage of the approximately 77,000 officially recognised meteorites. NWA 16788 is about 70% bigger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth, with a weight of just under 25 kilograms. It's covered in Mars' distinct reddish-brown fusion colour, although around a fifth of the rock is made up of a glass called material was produced from the huge impact from the asteroid which struck Mars' surface.
