The odds of this getting from there to here are astronomically small, Sotheby’s Cassandra Hatton said, as record-breaking Martian meteorite NWA 16788 is set to sell under the hammer in New York. Weighing in at 54 pounds,

One lucky bidder will soon fork over millions of dollars to take home NWA 16788, a 54-pound (24-kilogram) Martian meteorite. This space rock, discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2023, is the largest chunk of the Red Planet ever found on Earth.

The largest piece of Mars on Earth became the most valuable meteorite ever sold at auction at Sotheby’s annual ”Geek Week,” and a full Ceratosaurus skeleton fetched $30 million. Next up for bidding: an Apple computer hand-built by Steve Jobs.

A 54-pound meteorite from Mars is expected to fetch up to $4 million when it goes up for auction later this month at Sotheby's.

Two meteorites found in the Sahara in 2023 might be from Mercury, a study suggests, but doubts remain due to how little is known about the planet closest to the sun.

A 54-pound (25-kilogramme) rock. Estimated auction price: $2 million to $4 million. Why so expensive? It’s the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth. Sotheby’s in New York will be auctioning what’s known as NWA 16788 Wednesday as part of a natural history-themed sale that also includes a juvenile Ceratosaurus