The largest piece of Mars on Earth became the most valuable meteorite ever sold at auction at Sotheby’s annual ”Geek Week,” and a full Ceratosaurus skeleton fetched $30 million. Next up for bidding: an Apple computer hand-built by Steve Jobs.

"Dust devils themselves are difficult to capture in images because they are so short-lived," Ingrid Daubar, a planetary scientist at Brown University and lead author of the study, told Space.com by email. "The tracks they leave behind last longer, so we are able to observe them more thoroughly."

It sold for more than the maximum estimated price of $4 million. On Wednesday (July 16), the largest Mars meteorite on Earth was auctioned off at Sotheby's in New York City for $4.3 million.

Explore the race to Mars! Discover NASA, SpaceX, and China's plans, their groundbreaking goals, and the challenges of reaching the Red Planet.

A 54-pound meteorite from Mars is expected to fetch up to $4 million when it goes up for auction later this month at Sotheby's.

Mariner 4, built by JPL in Pasadena, took the images on July 14, 1965. One of the mission's leaders reflects on decades of studying the Red Planet.