DALLAS — A Martian Shergottite meteorite, NWA 12335 soared to $87,500 to lead Heritage Auctions’ Nature & Science Signature® Auction March 25. This extraordinary rarity is one of the fewer than 275 “approved” meteorites from the Red Planet. For perspective, that is fewer than a half of one percent of the roughly 72,000 classified meteorites. This magnificent specimen was found in 2018 in Northwest Africa. It is of the Shergottite variety and weighs 1.49 kilograms (3.3 pounds), making it the second-largest of six pieces, trailing only the “Main Mass,” which weighs 2.3 kilograms (5.1 pounds). The shape and texture of this specimen are both superb, and the highlight is the underlying reddish hue over much of the surface, consistent with an origin from the Red Planet. The Meteoritical Bulletin confirms the provenance of this piece as well as references the “Main Mass,” which Heritage also sold at auction in 2020 for $162,500. The sale achieved an overall total of $607,594.