Mega Millions Jackpot Now $500 Million After Numbers 9, 19, 34, 44, 51, Mega Ball 24 Produce No Winner

A hopeful Mega Millions multi-state lottery player holds up her tickets after purchasing them at a convenience store in Decatur, Ga., Tuesday, March 27, 2012. (Erik S. Lesser/EPA)

The winning numbers for the $356 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot, the third-largest prize in the game's history, were 9, 19, 34, 44, 51 and Mega Ball 24, but they did not produce a winner, officials said.

The lack of winner from Tuesday night's drawing means the estimated jackpot will grow to an estimated $500 million for a drawing Friday, according to the official Mega Millions website. Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and Tuesday night's drawing took place in Atlanta.

Erik S. Lesser/EPA

A hopeful Mega Millions multi-state lottery... View Full Size

Erik S. Lesser/EPA

A hopeful Mega Millions multi-state lottery player holds up her tickets after purchasing them at a convenience store in Decatur, Ga., Tuesday, March 27, 2012.

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The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot were estimated at about 1 in 176 million, according to lottery officials.

The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won was $390 million in March 2007, according to Mega Millions.

The winner is selected through five balls drawn from a set of balls numbered one through 56, and one ball is drawn from a set numbered one through 46.

While there are nine ways to win a prize, starting from $2, ticket buyers across the country have their eyes on the $356 million jackpot, which has been growing since Jan. 24. That's when Mega Millions had its most recent jackpot winner, Marcia Adams, 33, from Georgia. She won $72 million and chose the cash option of $52 million.

The odds of winning any of the Mega Millions prizes are approximately 1 in 40.

The estimated jackpot is based on national sales up to the time of the drawing. In the last drawing, in which there was no jackpot winner, almost 2.9 million tickets won Mega Millions prizes.