A mysterious metal monolith has been discovered in the middle of the Utah desert by government officials.

The object was discovered as they were carrying out their routine count of bighorn sheep during a helicopter flyover. Taking a closer look, the silver-toned structure measuring 10 feet in height was planted in the ground between red rock, popping out against its surrounding orange-hued backdrop. The chopper’s pilot, Bret Hutchings, noted in an interview with local news station KSLTV, “that’s been about the strangest thing that I’ve come across out there in all my years of flying.”

Hutchings explained further that it was a biologist in the crew who spotted the monolith from above: “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!’” Hutchings believes that the object could either be an art project or a tribute to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Authorities are still determining whether further investigation is needed.

Take a look at it below.

Posted by:Staff