A massive piece of Mars could sell for $4 million

The Martian rock could sell for millions

A giant chunk of the planet Mars could sell for up to an eye-watering $4 million (around £3 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 Earth.

It's 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 July 16 by the auction house Sotheby's in New York.

It's expected to fetch between $2 million and $4 million.

What else do we 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 (55 lb).

It's covered in Mars' distinct reddish-brown fusion colour, although around a fifth of the rock is made up of a glass called maskelynite.

This material was produced from the huge impact from the asteroid which struck Mars' surface.

"NWA 16788 is a discovery of extraordinary significance—the largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth, and the most valuable of its kind ever offered at auction," Cassandra Hatton, the vice chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby's, said in a statement.

"This remarkable meteorite provides a tangible connection to the red planet— our celestial neighbour that has long captured the human imagination."