The NWA 16788, the largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth, sells for a staggering $5.3 million at auction, raising questions about scientific ownership versus private collecting.

Martian meteorite that is the largest known piece of Mars found on Earth has sold for $5.3 million at Sotheby's, setting a new auction record for a meteorite.

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,