In a statement shared on its website, the department said the structure was discovered by the DPS's Aero Bureau and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources on Nov. 18 while on a mission to conduct a count of big horn sheep in a portion of southeastern Utah.
Photos of the monolith shared by the department show an approximately 10-foot metal column with four sides. The surface is shiny but doesn't appear to be reflective.
"While on this mission, they spotted an unusual object and landed nearby to investigate further," the statement read. "The crew members found a metal monolith installed in the ground in a remote area of red rock."
The statement added that there was "no obvious indication" of who installed the monolith but reminded the public that it is illegal to install "structures or art without authorization on federally managed public lands, no matter what planet it's from"
"We’re almost 100% sure this is an installation attempt of some kind," Utah Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Nick Street told USA TODAY. "Not an attempt, they successfully installed it in the Red Rock in southeastern Utah.
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