A chunk of Mars the size of a small boulder has ignited a big dispute on Earth. The 54-pound meteorite, known as NWA 16788, sold for over $5 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York last month—setting a world record as the largest piece of Mars ever found on our planet. But back in Niger, where the rock was discovered in the Sahara Desert, officials say the sale may have crossed a legal and ethical line.
According to Sotheby’s, the meteorite was blasted off Mars millions of years ago by an asteroid impact and eventually landed in Niger’s desert sands. A meteorite hunter stumbled across it in 2023, later passing it along to international dealers. Before reaching the auction block, the rock was studied by scientists in Florence, displayed briefly in Rome, and then snapped up by an anonymous buyer in New York.
Niger’s government is now investigating whether the meteorite was smuggled out of the country, calling the sale “illicit international trafficking.” In response, President Abdourahamane Tiani has suspended all exports of precious and semiprecious stones, including meteorites, to tighten oversight.
Sotheby’s insists the sale was above board, noting that the meteorite was exported “in line with all relevant international procedures” with proper documentation at each step. However, experts note that under UNESCO conventions, meteorites can qualify as cultural property—meaning Niger could potentially claim ownership if it can prove the rock was taken illegally.
The case underscores a broader issue: who truly owns rare treasures from the Earth—or in this case, from Mars? While collectors see dollar signs and scientists see research opportunities, Niger views the meteorite as part of its national heritage. As one paleontologist put it: “We’re not in the colonial era anymore.”