NEW YORK, NY.- Three years ago, a specimen plucked from the sands of the Sahara Desert was ascertained to be an intact Martian meteorite, one of the rarest celestial specimens ever discovered on Earth. From May 18 – 28, 2021, Bonhams presents Meteorites Online, a sale featuring this superb main mass, which lay on the surface of Mars for millennia prior to making its interplanetary journey, and existing as one of just 245 approved meteorites to ever be classified ‘Martian.’ It is estimated to achieve $375,000-450,000.

The sale is also highlighted by a second phenomenal specimen—this one, a Lunar meteorite that presents an incredibly unique structure of clasts and matrix telling the story of the cataclysmic impact that ejected this object from the moon’s surface to planet Earth. This spectacular end cut of the main mass, classified by the Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico, is currently one of only 219 officially classified 'lunar' meteorites. It is expected to fetch $200,000 – 250,000.

Bonhams Natural History Specialist Tom Lindgren commented: “Originating from the crust of planetary bodies over 180 million miles apart from one another, the Martian meteorite and the Lunar meteorite in our upcoming sale represent two of the best examples of meteorites in the world. It is highly unusual to see specimen of this size, shape, and mass with such fantastically collectible features. Our sale presents collectors with a rare opportunity to acquire not one but two exceptional objects that have quite literally traversed through time and space before arriving at Bonhams.”