New York Power Authority

Federal authorities have seized a 54-pound Martian meteorite that was sold at auction last year, asserting that the rock belongs to the United States. The case, reported by the New York Times and involving U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro, raises questions over who legally owns meteorites found on Earth and traded on the private market. The seizure has drawn attention from collectors, scientists and space-law observers debating whether valuable extraterrestrial material can be claimed by governments after being sold.