The Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was tested on July 16, 1945. It was known as the Manhattan Project. It is open to the public 2 times a year - the first Saturday in April and October. Since we were in the neighborhood we decided to "drop" in!
You have to pass through a guarded gate at White Sands Missile Range and present ID. No pictures are to be taken once through the gate until you are at Ground Zero.
"You're taking me where???"
The guys ahead of us had a Geiger counter we figured if they turned around and ran we would follow suit!
A obelisk made from volcanic rock has been erected at ground zero.
The blast caused the sand below it to turn into glass - they call it "trinitite". It has a gray/green tinge to it .
but don't even think about leaving with any!
This is a "Fat Boy" container similar to the one that held the Atomic Bomb that was dropped in Nagasaki, Japan
This the ground zero shelter. It was built to protect a portion of the original crater floor, in the center is a mound of sand covering that Trinitite for the future. The bomb was detonated on top of a 100 ft tower so there was not a deep crater, but it was still about 4 ft deep and 240 ft in diameter. The tower was vaporized and the shock wave broke windows at least 160 miles away. The story, at the time, was that a munitions storage area had accidentally exploded at the Alamogordo Bombing Range.
The explosion at .006 seconds
At .025 seconds
At .053 seconds
and at .100 seconds
Next we went to the George McDonald Farm House where the bomb was assembled.
The Master Bedroom was turned into a clean room for the assembly of the plutonium core.
There are remains of a bunkhouse, barn and corrals.
Radiation at the site is minimal. 1 hour at the site exposes you to one half mrem of radiation. Radioactivity from air, water & food - about 240 mrem. A chest X-ray 6 mrem a CAT scan 110 mrem
A very interesting tour.
Till Later!
Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n
Melissa, Gary & Tucson
1 comment:
Very interesting. Have read a few books about project. Enjoy.
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