Get ready, space enthusiasts! Up for grabs at Sotheby’s in New York is an astonishing 54-pound rock—valued at a jaw-dropping $2 million to $4 million. But this isn't just any rock; it’s the largest known piece of Mars ever discovered on Earth!

On Wednesday, the auction house will showcase NWA 16788 as part of a remarkable natural history sale that also includes a towering juvenile Ceratosaurus skeleton, measuring over 6 feet tall and nearly 11 feet long.

What makes this Martian meteorite so special? Well, it was ejected from the surface of Mars by a colossal asteroid impact and traveled an incredible 140 million miles to land in the Sahara Desert. Discovered in Niger in November 2023, it stands as a cosmic relic.

Sotheby’s reveals that this meteorite is around 70% larger than the previous titleholder of the largest Martian fragment found on Earth, accounting for nearly 7% of all the Martian materials on our planet. Measuring nearly 15 inches by 11 inches by 6 inches, it’s a hefty chunk of history!

"This Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars we've ever found by a long shot," said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Vice Chairman for Science and Natural History. "It's more than double the size of what we previously believed was the largest!"

Rarity is key; only 400 Martian meteorites are recognized among over 77,000 meteorites discovered on Earth. A small sample of this extraterrestrial rock has been analyzed, confirming its Martian origins through comparisons with samples collected by the Viking space probe in 1976.

The analysis revealed that it is an 'olivine-microgabbroic shergottite', a type of Martian rock formed from slow-cooling magma and rich in pyroxene and olivine. Its glossy exterior likely forms from the extreme heat experienced during its atmospheric entry.

The meteorite, previously displayed at the Italian Space Agency in Rome, may have hit Earth in recent years, although the exact timing remains unconfirmed.

As for the Ceratosaurus skeleton, it was excavated in 1996 from Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming, renowned for its fossil finds. This specimen dates back to the late Jurassic period, approximately 150 million years ago, and is expected to fetch between $4 million and $6 million.

Ceratosaurus was a bipedal dinosaur with short arms, reminiscent of but smaller than the Tyrannosaurus rex, reaching lengths of up to 25 feet compared to T. rex's impressive 40 feet.

Both the meteorite and skeleton are part of Sotheby’s Geek Week 2025 auction, featuring 122 incredible items, from meteorites and fossils to exquisite gem-quality minerals. Don’t miss this chance to own a piece of the universe!