1,000,000,000th of a second after a nuclear explosion

[Mango]

Many apolgies if this has been posted before but I just came accross it.

They were taken by the legendary Harold Edgerton in the Nevada desert at a range of 7 miles at 1/1,000,000,000th of a second, at night. These 3 pictures show the first 3 milliseconds of an atomic bomb detonation.

Edgerton built a special lens 10 feet long for his camera which was set up in a bunker 7 miles from the source of the blast. The bomb was placed atop a steel gantry anchored to the desert floor by guide wires.

In a millisecond the blast expands; lightning caused by the force of the energy travels down the guide wires The desert floor was turned to glass.

In another millionth of a second, a planet of fire exists, silhouetting and dwarfing the Joshua Trees.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I've got a big book filled with pictures of nuclear testing, these ones are in there.

Never gets old looking at them, they're awesome (Y)

[jak0bk]

So destructive and so beautiful.

[Coldgunner]

I've got a big book filled with pictures of nuclear testing, these ones are in there.

Never gets old looking at them, they're awesome (Y)

know of any links to more of this kinda stuff? I find all this interesting

[digitalsoft]

Rather amazing! especially how the sand is turned to glass...!

[gadean]

wow, its amazing how quickly it changed in 3 milliseconds. In that last picture does anyone know what those specks are?

[pjak]

Rather amazing! especially how the sand is turned to glass...!

glass is made from sand...so all the nuclear explosion did was melt it... ;)

still amazing, though!

[peacemf]

wow

i would love to see the whole desert turn to glass, there must be pics of that right?

[Minimoose]

Very cool, thanks for the pics.

[Sethos]

First picture looks like a lollipop, yum :happy:

[BilliShere]

absolutely superb! dangerous yet beautiful.. i wonder if false coloring could be used to improve the pics.

[MikeChipshop Member]

absolutely amazing how something can be so beautiful and destructive

[devHead]

First picture looks like a lollipop, yum :happy:

Hey, that sounds like a good name for a band: The Atomic Lollipops.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

know of any links to more of this kinda stuff? I find all this interesting

My favourite kinds are high altitude atmospheric testing, so tests like Starfish Prime, Bluegill Triple Prime, etc., they have some great images.

The only damage these things do to objects on the ground, is a EMP pulse, they mess with the Van Allen belts though (Inject lots of radiation into them), and make for some damn good pictures (Like the ones of Starfish Prime taken from Honolulu)

[Inklin]

absolutely superb! dangerous yet beautiful.. i wonder if false coloring could be used to improve the pics.

How about this???

I dunno what one would look like so i tried lol.

[CelticWhisper]

First picture looks like a lollipop, yum :happy:

Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli

Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli

Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli

Lollipop.

...

*BOOM*

[maplecookie Veteran]

Geez those are amazing

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

Only wish they would have a High Res color photo of a nuclear blast

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

The film from back then just wasn't very good, so while there are colour shots, they aren't very "high res" or great quality. If they did it these days we'd have 12MP cameras and HD video cameras trained on them.

[ramesees]

^^^ Ahhh yes ... new wallpaper :D

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

Also,

[bush]

thanks! i did not know about these photos. they're awesome!

[richardsim7]

I'd LOVE to see a photo of a desert turned to glass :D

-Rich-

[Kronir]

Awesome pictures. :D

[LOC Veteran]

Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.

Sorry, couldn't resist.