The largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth has sold for just over $5 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York.

The largest Mars meteorite ever found on Earth was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York on Wednesday for $4.3 million. The Martian rock, known as NWA 16788, weighs more than 54 pounds, is nearly 15 inches long and is 70% larger than the next biggest piece of Mars that has been recovered, according to the auction house.

A spirited 15-minute bidding war between online and phone participants ultimately landed the ultra-rare specimen with an anonymous buyer, far surpassing its initial estimate of $2-4 million.