It traveled 140 million kilometers through space before crashing in the Sahara desert. It is known as NWA 16788, weighs about 25 kilograms, and is the largest Martian meteorite discovered on Earth. It was discovered in 2023 in Niger's arid province of Agadez, and it is now set to make its debut at one of New York's most prominent auction houses. Behind its millennia-long voyage lies an intriguing story: NWA 16788 is a chunk of the Red Planet ejected into space millions of years ago by the impact of a massive asteroid. Following an extensive voyage through the cosmic void, it entered the Earth's atmosphere and ultimately found its final resting place in the African desert's sands. However, the meteorite also has a second life: a scientific one. After being purchased by a well-known Italian gallery owner, it was given to the University of Florence for in-depth research. The study was directed by Professor Giovanni Pratesi, Professor of Mineralogy at the Department of Earth Sciences, and researchers Annarita Franza and Xhonatan Shehaj. The Florentine team conducted two key studies on the meteorite, which were published in the journal 'Heritage' and presented at the 'Lunar and Planetary Science Conference'. The investigations are part of the Space It Up Project, a national partnership financed by the Italian Space Agency and the Ministry of University and Research that aims to answer major challenges in space exploration through collaboration among universities, scientific institutions, and companies. From a scientific standpoint, NWA 16788 provides a valuable insight into the geological history of Mars. It was formed by the partial melting of an enriched Martian mantle source and is composed mainly of pyroxene, olivine, and maskelynite—a glass produced by the violent impact with the asteroid", explains Pratesi. The Meteoritical Bulletin, the world's leading authority on the subject, formally recognized its Martian origins in 2025. This specimen is so important that it alone accounts for nearly 6.5% of all Martian material known to Earth. According to researchers, it may even lead to a change of the current classification of Martian meteorites. Although the New York auction will determine the ultimate fate of NWA 16788, a portion of it will remain in Italy. More specifically, two sections of the meteorite will remain at the University of Florence, where they will continue to be studied, thereby contributing to Italian and international scientific research.