The temperature was like the center of the sun
When the bomb explodes a very large amount of heat and light are produced. The temperature rises to tens of millions of degrees. It’s as if someone has reached out to the center of the sun.
People seize to exist
When people get exposed to that kind of heat and light their skin turns into carbon and they simply seize to exist instantly. In the radius of 800 ft from ground zero almost no one survived the bomb. Some people vanished completely. (See What does it feel like to die?)
What remains is an atomic shadow
If a person gets exposed directly to that heat and light he will disappear, leaving behind him almost no trace except for some shade on the ground called the atomic shadow. Scientists used those shadows to study the location and the impact of the explosion.
The bombing was very accurate
Scientists discovered that the bomb was dropped 550 feet away from the original target which is a very accurate hit. 50% of those who were killed within a half mile of ground zero died from severe burns. (See How does burning to death feel like?)
The effects of intense heat
The intense heat results in objects catching fire instantly hundreds of feet away from the explosion. The mother of one of the victims failed to recognize her daughter who survived as she looked all black. She only knew her from her voice.
The city was flattened in 10 seconds
Over 60,000 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. This represented 67% of the city’s structure.
The bombs
The bomb exploded 1900 feet above the city. Upon explosion, a super heated bubble of air pushes outwards creating a shock-wave. The shock wave then reflects on the surface of the ground creating both a primary shock and a secondary shock. This maximizes the effect of the bomb.
Why the bomb was detonated in the air
If Little Boy, the bomb, was detonated on the ground the earth would have absorbed most of the energy and so the shock-waves wouldn’t have been forced out. The bomb resulted in heavy damage for 3 miles in every direction.
Hiroshima was rebuilt
50 years later, Hiroshima was completely rebuilt except for one building which was directly hit by the bomb and was left as a symbol of peace. The building remained standing because it was directly under ground zero but all people there were killed.
The fires were seen by the Enola Gay crew
The fires were everywhere that they were visible to the crew of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the bomb, from a height of more than 30,000 feet.
The effect of multiple fires
According to a firefighting expert, the multiple fires combine, creating fire tornadoes and air-blasts that travel up to 50 miles per hour. The fires then merge and become stronger and more intense.
4.5 square miles were on fire
The fires lasted for 6 hours and spanned 4.5 square miles.
Video Summary: 24 Hours After Hiroshima 2/3
