'2001: A Space Odyssey'-Style Monolith Found in Utah Desert

Creepy

Photo: Utah Highway Patrol

BY Allie GregoryPublished Nov 23, 2020

Utah's Department of Public Safety discovered an otherworldly object in the desert last week while assisting the Division of Wildlife Resource's search for bighorn sheep.

Like something out of a Stanley Kubrick film, a helicopter crew spotted a mysterious object from the sky, then followed a rocky trail down to find a 12-foot tall metal monolith, similar to that of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

"One of the biologists is the one who spotted it and we just happened to fly directly over the top of it," helicopter pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL5 News. "He was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, turn around, turn around!' And I was like, 'what.' And he's like, 'There's this thing back there — we've got to go look at it!'"

The crew investigated further but found no explanation for the object's origin, though they did say the monolith didn't look like it had been dropped there — it was dug into the ground. Hutchings called it the strangest thing he'd ever come across.

"We were kind of joking around that if one of us suddenly disappears, then the rest of us make a run for it," Hutchings added. "I'm assuming it's some new wave artist or something or somebody who's a big 2001: A Space Odyssey fan."

The exact location of the monolith has not been revealed as officials warn that adventurers searching for it would be met with a dangerous trek to the middle of nowhere.

See more about the mystery object below, where you can also revisit a clip of the monolith from Kubrick's 1968 classic.
 




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