Biggest piece of Mars on Earth going up for auction in New York

Sotheby’s in New York will be auctioning what’s known as NWA 16788 on Wednesday as part of a natural history-themed sale

NEW YORK: For sale: A 54-pound (25-kilogram) rock. Estimated auction price: $2 million to $4 million. Why so expensive? It’s the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth.

The largest-ever Martian meteorite is on display for the first time at Sotheby’s before the auction in New York City. (Getty Images)

Sotheby’s in New York will be auctioning what’s known as NWA 16788 on Wednesday as part of a natural history-themed sale that also includes a juvenile Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton that’s more than 6 feet (2 metres) tall and nearly 11 feet (3 metres) long.

According to the auction house, the meteorite