The largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth has sold for just over $A8.2 million at an auction of rare geological and archaeological objects in New York.
The 25kg rock named NWA 16788 was discovered in the Sahara Desert in Niger by a meteorite hunter in November 2023, after having been blown off the surface of Mars by a massive asteroid strike and travelling 225 million kilometres to Earth, according to Sotheby's.
The estimated sale price before the auction on Wednesday was $US2 million ($A3.1 million) to $US4 million ($A6.2 million).
The identity of the buyer was not disclosed.
The final bid was $US4.3 million ($A6.6 million). Adding various fees and costs, the official sale price was about $US5.3 million ($A8.2 million).