Have you ever thought about owning a piece of Mars? Perhaps you could now, but it will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. A piece of the "red planet" is expected to fetch up to $800,000, while a doghouse destroyed by a meteorite strike from outer space is estimated to be around $300,000 in an auction by the renowned Christie’s auction house.
Bids are pouring in for many items in the auction titled "Deep Impact: Meteorites from Mars and the Moon, and Other Rare Collections." Christie’s stated that the sale of 66 items, which is taking place online only and will conclude on Wednesday, includes "meteorite stones containing the oldest material that the human hand can touch."
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson mentioned in an interview that the items on display include "rocks ejected by larger meteorites coming from the Moon or Mars." According to Reuters, Tyson said: "These rocks (separated from the meteorites) swam through space with some landing here on Earth." The third-largest rock from Mars that is present on Earth is expected to achieve the highest price at this auction.
Additionally, a dog cage is on display, where a dog named Rocky, a Shepherd breed, was inside but miraculously survived when a meteorite pierced the tin roof in April 2019 in Aguas Zarcas, Costa Rica. Christie’s stated: "A hole over 17 centimeters in diameter indicates the aperture made by the meteorite through the roof and near the dog."
Daryl Pitt, who is responsible for the Makovitch Meteorite Collection and is an auction advisor, said: "The meteorite almost crushed the dog. Fortunately, it survived." In contrast, a cow that was struck by a meteorite in Venezuela in 1972 was not as lucky, as a farmer harvested what remained of it and consumed the meat.
