A Piece of Mars Lands on Earth for a Hefty Price

A big chunk of Mars, now on Earth, just sold for a whopping $4. 3 million. This isn't just any rock; it's the largest piece of Mars ever found on our planet. Weighing in at 54 pounds, it's a giant compared to other Martian meteorites, which are usually tiny. This meteorite, named NWA 16788, was discovered in a remote area of Niger in November 2023. It's not just big; it's also super rare. Out of all the meteorites found on Earth, only around 400 are from Mars. So, finding one this size is a really big deal. The meteorite has a red color and a glassy surface, which formed as it zoomed through Earth's atmosphere. Scientists think it was blasted off Mars by a powerful asteroid impact. This impact was so strong that it turned parts of the meteorite into glass. Some people are upset that this meteorite was sold at an auction instead of being donated to science. They argue that it should be in a museum where everyone can see it and scientists can study it. Others, however, point out that the market for meteorites drives the science forward. Without collectors, we might not have as many meteorites to study. A small piece of the meteorite has been saved for scientific research at the Purple Mountain Observatory in China. So, even if the rest of it is hidden away in a private collection, scientists can still learn from it. In 2021, another Martian meteorite sold for $200, 000, which was way more than expected. This shows that there's a big interest in these space rocks.