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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Google Earth Pro imagery reportedly shows the Utah monolith by October 2016 and still in place in 2019—years before state personnel found it in November 2020. That timeline does not reveal the exact day it was installed or who put it there.
What the Google Earth timeline shows
Fact-checking outlet Teyit compared historical Google Earth Pro views of the location and reported three observations: no monolith in the July 2016 image, the structure visible in October 2016, and the structure still visible in 2019. The comparison supports the conclusion that it was there by the October 2016 image, and likely remained for years before its discovery. It does not establish an installation date. Teyit’s image comparison is the source for those month-by-month observations.
The exact site-specific capture metadata for the July and October 2016 views has not been independently verified against an original Google archive or another primary imagery record. An image label is evidence of what appears in that image, not proof of when the object was placed there.
From discovery to removal
- November 18, 2020: Teyit reported that Utah state personnel encountered the structure during a helicopter operation to survey bighorn sheep.
- November 23, 2020: Teyit reported that Utah Department of Public Safety personnel published images of the object through official accounts and the department’s website.
- November 27, 2020: The Bureau of Land Management said an unknown party or parties removed the structure that evening.
- November 29, 2020: The BLM confirmed that the structure had been on public land in its Monticello Field Office and said the agency had not removed it. The BLM announcement described it as installed without authorization.
Why a Google Earth image date needs context
Google Earth’s historical imagery is a sequence of images gathered at different times, not a single, synchronized record of an entire state. The Utah Geospatial Resource Center (UGRC) says urban areas were updated regularly while some rural places retained older Google imagery for years. For a rural site such as the monolith’s location, the date shown for an image matters more than assumptions about a statewide update schedule. UGRC says its later statewide imagery was captured by Hexagon and that it continues to provide older Google imagery through its licensed imagery documentation.
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Utah’s imagery program history also helps explain why Google imagery is useful but should not be treated as a precise installation log. In 2015, UGRC announced that its licensed aerial photography came from 2013 and 2014 flights, covered about 98% of Utah, and was expected to add southwest San Juan County later that year. The licensed product had 6-inch pixels and approximately 0.5-meter horizontal positional accuracy; those specifications describe that state-licensed product, not every consumer Google Earth image or the specific monolith-site views. UGRC distinguished the licensed imagery’s positional accuracy and reuse terms from imagery available through consumer Google Earth and Maps. Its announcement is available at Utah Acquires High Resolution Aerial Photography License.
Other ways to explore Utah’s historical aerial imagery
The Utah Geological Survey’s public aerial imagery database is a broader archive for historical imagery, rather than confirmation of the monolith’s particular 2016 views. A January 2022 article described material spanning 1935 to 2020. It reported a database snapshot of more than 1,200 imagery projects and more than 277,000 air photos; the article also reported 283,218 total items across 1,231 collections as of October 2021. Those are archive-wide totals, not counts for the monolith site.
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The database organizes collections by information such as acquisition agency, year or date range, and project code, and lets users search using a map, project metadata, and image markers. Its article notes that externally linked imagery may lead to USGS EarthExplorer, where a free user login is required to complete downloads. Check the date and coverage for a specific location rather than assuming the archive contains a particular view. See The New Utah Aerial Imagery Database.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where the monolith stood—and what the BLM said about visiting
The BLM said the structure was on public land in a remote, undeveloped area and had been installed without authorization. Publicity brought a surge of visitors to a site not equipped for heavy visitation. In its November 2020 release, the agency reported vehicles parked on vegetation and human waste left behind; it also said the area had no cell service, restrooms, or parking lot, and required high-clearance vehicles. The BLM recommended that people not attempt to visit and said driving off designated roads and trails in its Monticello Field Office is illegal. These details are from the archived 2020 notice, not a current conditions report; check with the BLM before making any travel plans.
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Monticello Field Manager Amber Denton Johnson said, “Even so, it was installed without authorization on public lands and the site is in a remote area without services for the large number of people who now want to see it.”
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