A martian meteorite is expected to be sold for up to £63,000 at auction.
The ‘Black Beauty’ meteorite from Mars was discovered in the Sahara in Morocco, North Africa, in 2011.
Experts say it formed from magma more than two billion years ago.
Less than two inches long, it is expected to fetch between $75,000 to $100,000 (£47,000 to £63,000) in an online auction at Christie’s in New York.
The formal name of the meteorite is Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034.
Martian meteorites are among the rarest substances on Earth.
The auction listing claims less than 300Ibs of Martian meteorites are known to exist and Black Beauty is even more rare and unusual because it contains 10-30 times more chemically bound water than other Martian meteorites, probably a reflection of the water-rich magma from which it crystallized.
The piece is also the second oldest Martian meteorite ever found.
Collectors of space paraphernalia will have a galaxy of treasures that have fallen to Earth to choose from in the auction.
The sale, which runs until November 25, features 30 meteorites which have plunged to the ground from Mars, the Moon and asteroids that orbit the Sun.
