A piece of a unique Mars meteorite found in the Sahara Desert of Niger in 2023 was sold for $4.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This meteorite is considered the largest piece of Mars found on Earth. However, the Niger government is expressing doubts about its illegal export from the country.
Sotheby's auction house emphasizes that all documents are in order and that the meteorite was legally taken out of Niger. However, the Niger government is conducting an investigation to obtain clear information about how the meteorite left the country and who sold it.
The scientific team involved in the discovery of the meteorite and the gallery owners studied it in Italy and then displayed it in New York. Nevertheless, the fact that a large part of the meteorite did not remain in Niger is causing discontent in the country.
Prof. Paul Sereno, a scientist protecting Niger's cultural and natural heritage, emphasizes that such unique objects need to be preserved in the country.
He states that international laws should also protect meteorites as cultural heritage. This incident has once again highlighted the issues of meteorite trading and the protection of natural resources in Niger and other African countries.
The Niger government and the international community are calling for stricter laws regarding meteorites.
