: We often read in the news about the consequences of a nuclear explosion on Earth.
But what will happen if a nuclear explosion is carried out in space?
According to a report by Science ABC, in the event of a nuclear explosion in space, at first, an area of thousands of square kilometers on Earth would be blindingly bright, and with it, power, radar and communication systems would be disabled.
In fact, the United States has also tested several nuclear weapons in space under "Project Fishbowl" in the past. Under this plan, on July 9, 1962, an atomic bomb of 462 megatons was detonated at a height of 250 miles from the earth.
Since there is no air in space, the blast did not create the shockwaves that are the most destructive aspect of an atomic bomb on Earth.
The experiment released large amounts of heat and light, along with gamma and X-rays.
The explosion lit up the sky while the ground also saw a halo of light over an area of thousands of square kilometers caused by the interaction of charged particles from the nuclear explosion with the Earth's magnetic field.
Experts say that by detonating an atomic bomb in space, the large amount of radioactive particles released from it is also destroyed in space.
As a result of this explosion, a powerful magnetic field is also created in space. This magnetic field, called an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), consists of charged electrons
When the United States launched its first explosion in space, the resulting powerful electromagnetic field knocked out power in a large part of the state of Hawaii, while radar and navigation systems were shut down, resulting in a shutdown of electronic communications. .
Scientists concluded from this explosion that a nuclear explosion hundreds of miles above a country could disable its communication and power systems. The mass of this bomb was only 461 megatons, but today's atomic bombs are much more powerful than that, i.e., if an atomic bomb is detonated hundreds of miles above the earth, it will directly affect more than one country below. Electricity and communication systems will be heavily damaged.
More than 2,000 nuclear tests have been conducted on earth in the past few years. Although the nature of their damages is different, but nuclear explosion is very destructive for humans, whether it is done on earth or in space.
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