Biggest of the Big
The world's largest nuclear weapons ever tested
#3. Castle Bravo
The first of the castle series, and an unfortunately miscalculation by the US Military, made Castle Bravo the largest nuclear explosion in US history. With an anticipated explosion of 6-megaton, on February 28th, 1954, the bomb produced a 15-megaton fission blast with it’s mushroom cloud peaking at 35 km. Due to the unprecedented size difference, nearly 700 inhabitants of the Marshall Islands off the coast of Japan were exposed to high levels of radiation. (Business Insider, 2016)
Pictured: Castle Bravo mushroom cloud after explosion.
Business Insider. (2016, December 16). These are the 12 largest nuclear detonations in history. ScienceAlert. [Image]. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.sciencealert.com/these-are-the-12-largest-nuclear-detonations-in-history
#2. Soviet Test No.219
On December 24, 1962, the USSR conducted Test No.219 over Novaya Zemlya. The bomb, although never pictured or videoed, had a yield of 24.2 megatons. This means that if a bomb of this strength were to go off in a major city, everything within 9.3 square kilometers of the detonation epicenter would be incinerated while causing third-degree burns in an area up to 5,827 square kilometers. (Business Insider, 2016)
Pictured: Test No.219 nuclear fallout map.
Business Insider. (2016, December 16). These are the 12 largest nuclear detonations in history. ScienceAlert. [Image]. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.sciencealert.com/these-are-the-12-largest-nuclear-detonations-in-history
#1. The Tsar Bomba
On December 24, 1962, the USSR conducted Test No.219 over Novaya Zemlya. The bomb, although never pictured or videoed, had a yield of 24.2 megatons. This means that if a bomb of this strength were to go off in a major city, everything within 3.58 square miles of the detonation epicenter would be incinerated while causing third-degree burns in an area up to 2,250 square miles. (Business Insider, 2016)
Pictured:The Tsar Bomba mushroom cloud after detonation.
Business Insider. (2016, December 16). These are the 12 largest nuclear detonations in history. ScienceAlert. [Image]. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.sciencealert.com/these-are-the-12-largest-nuclear-detonations-in-history