A Scene Reminiscent of the Movie '2001 Space Odyssey'
Utah Authorities: "Installing Structures on Government Land Is Illegal, Regardless of Which Planet They Came From"
[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] A mysterious metal object of unknown origin has been discovered in the desert of Utah, USA, attracting attention.
The appearance of this object, reminiscent of the mysterious monolith-shaped pillar from Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi film '2001: A Space Odyssey,' has sparked conspiracy theories suggesting it could be the work of extraterrestrials.
According to AFP on the 24th (local time), the Utah Department of Public Safety recently released photos and videos of the metal monolith found by wildlife protection officials in the desert.
The monolith caught the eyes of officials who were counting bighorn sheep from a helicopter. Upon spotting the unidentified object, they immediately landed to inspect it and were reportedly astonished, the agency said.
The metal monolith was a 3.6-meter-tall triangular structure embedded in the ground. The Utah officials who discovered it said they could not determine who installed it or why.
An official who found the monolith told local media, "It was the strangest thing we have encountered during our flights so far."
The response from Utah authorities also drew attention. In a press release issued a day earlier, Utah stated that an investigation into the monolith would be conducted and emphasized, "Regardless of which planet you come from, installing structures or artworks on federally managed public land without permission is illegal."
This statement contributed to the perception that the monolith might be extraterrestrial. The similarity of the monolith to the one featured in the famous sci-fi film '2001: A Space Odyssey,' along with the discovery location resembling the movie’s setting, fueled this perception.
However, some have suggested that the monolith resembles the work of the late artist John McCracken, who passed away in 2011 and created similar pieces in New Mexico. Foreign media also estimated, using Google Earth, that it was installed between 2015 and 2016.
Utah authorities did not disclose the exact location of the monolith. This cautious measure was taken considering the possibility of many tourists flocking amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of getting stranded in such a remote area.
The agency reported that after news of the monolith spread online, people even scrambled to search for it using helicopters and aircraft, causing a commotion.
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