A worker inspects a metal monolith that was found installed in the ground in a remote area of red rock in Utah. AP

Syed Shayaan Bakht, Gulf Today

In a mysterious discovery, a 12-foot high shiny, triangular obelisk has been found buried in the remote western US desert, giving rise to theories of alien life.  

The secretive structure lies deep in Utah's red-rock desert. A helicopter surveying sheep in the region found the pillar.

A video showed a metal pillar erected amid a Mars-like landscape in the middle of nowhere.

The chopper crew landed at the site to check what it was.  They found the three-sided 12-foot high stainless-steel object.

The crew were clueless about how the metal was driven into the ground, and why.  They are also looking for any possible traces that could link if there is any human living in the area.

The site is so remote that it needs proper planning and tools to come up with this kind of structure in the middle of the desert.

Lt. Nick Street of the Utah Highway Patrol said “This thing is not from another world,” but what he could not say was how it reached there and how it was embedded.

Authorities are not revealing the location of the structure, as it is so remote that officials fear that some people may get lost or stranded trying to find it and need to be rescued.

The pillar reminds us of some of the Hollywood movies about space odysseys.

 State workers walk near a metal monolith in Utah.  AP

Authorities are ruling out theories about art installations.  Since the pillar is on federal public land, it’s illegal to place art objects without authorisation.

An investigation has been launched to find out for how long the structure has been there, who might have created it and whether to remove it or not.

A battery of experts has rushed to the area to have a closer look at the object.   

Ever since the authorities released the news, netizens have come up with theories of how the structure came into being.  

Sophie said on Twitter, “may be ALIENS are tired of trying to compete with 2020 news and be like... ok, let's make it **super** obvious. Surely these Earth people will pay attention now.”

Josfig said, “There is something strange about that boulder to the left...”

A user with the name, “Bakedporcupine” said, “Someone built it. You can see it was riveted or screwed together. Transported in multiple pieces and assembled on-site. Most likely hollow…”

Cascadian Avian said, “I wonder if that helicopter pilot is the same helicopter pilot who helicoptered the obelisk into that location by helicopter.”  But for now let’s revel in the theories of the mysterious structure.