Scientists Explain How Rock From Mars Fell in Niger and Was Sold for $5.3 Million in New York
- Many people on social media are fascinated by the story of a piece of rock said to have fallen from Mars
- People became interested in the rock after it was reported that it was sold for a whopping $5.3 million during an auction
- Art house, Sotheby's, which handled the historic sale in New York, has explained how the rare rock made it to Niger
A rock reportedly from Mars, sold for a whopping $5.3 million (N8.1 billion), has attracted many reactions online.
Many social media users are fascinated after they heard the story of the piece of rock named NWA 16788.
Source: TikTok
The NWA 16788 was discovered in November 2023 in the remote Agadez region of Niger.
According to art house, Sotheby's, which handled the auction in New York, it has been confirmed that the meteorite was actually from Mars.
In a video posted on TikTok by the Sotheby's, the possibility of the rock making it to earth from Mars was so rare that it is considered almost a miracle that NWA 16788 was found.
The Sotheby's Cassandra Hatton said while explaining the rare rock:
"This is the largest piece of Mars on planet earth. The odds of this getting from there to here are astronomically small.
“Weathered by its journey through space and time, its immense size and unmistakable red color sets it apart as a once-in-a-generation find. This remarkable meteorite provides a tangible connection to the red planet — our celestial neighbor that has long captured the human imagination,”
Information on the caption of the video adds that the rock travelled millions of miles and landed on Earth.
It says:
"Ejected from the Martian surface by a massive asteroid strike, it traveled 140 million miles through space, and hurtled through Earth’s atmosphere before crashing in the Sahara Desert."
Someone who preferred to remain anonymous has paid $5.3 million (N8.1 billion) for the rock.
However, Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh, told CNN that the rock should never have been sold.
He said:
“It would be a shame if it disappeared into the vault of an oligarch. It belongs in a museum, where it can be studied, and where it can be enjoyed by children and families and the public at large."
Also, some social media users who saw the video on TikTok questioned why a rock found in Niger Republic was sold in New York.
Source: UGC
Watch the video below:
Martian rock sold in New York, reactions
@Mr Unknown said:
"How do you know that it's Martian?"
@King Erik said:
"Probably just a random earth rock."
@JonnyB said:
"Surprise surprise. Lands in Africa but ends up in America."
@Alexander A. said:
"It landed in Sahara Desert. Why is it in New York?"
@MMArt said:
"I’m a Tuareg from the country where this fell. It was escorted by the army, which has someone I know to capital of Niamey. Tuaregs found it they took it from them. This belongs to my country and to the Tuaregs who found it, they should compensate the people of the land where they took it from. This rock belongs to Africa."
Scientists discover rocks allegedly from Mercury
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a group of scientists studied two rock samples they believe may have fallen to Earth from Mercury.
According to research published in the journal Icarus, the two rock samples were collected from the Sahara Desert.
The researchers believed there was some evidence pointing to the fact that the rock is of Mercurian origin.
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Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
