In a scene that could have been taken from the science fiction classic “2001: A Space Odyssey,” officials in Utah have discovered a mysterious metallic monolith in the remote southeastern part of the state.
Public safety workers spotted the object November 18 from a helicopter while conducting a count of bighorn sheep, according to a news statement.
So far, there is no indication of who could have placed the 3- to 3.6-meter-tall monolith in that location.
“It is illegal to install structures or art without authorization on federally managed public lands, no matter what planet you’re from,” the Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement.
“That’s been about the strangest thing that I’ve come across out there in all my years of flying,” pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL-TV.
He added that the object appeared to be manmade and probably did not have any scientific purpose, calling it “more of an art form than any kind of alien life form.”
For now, officials are not revealing the exact location of the monolith and are trying to determine if further investigation is needed.
