Images of a massive bomb falling to Earth can be jarring to see, but the only way to capture the incredible power they possess is to watch them wreaking destruction in the moment. The folks at Atom Central, a website that publishes restored high-definition videos of atomic bomb tests and the creators of the documentary Trinity and Beyond, make that possible.
Maybe you’ve seen some of these, but, if you haven’t, look at these.
Atom Central says this is from a test in 1953, and if you look closely, there’s vehicles scattered about to absorb the blast.
Operation Teapot in 1955 was carried out in Nevada. Back in 2015, the Atom Central folks snagged several clips compiled below that capture multiple tests.
This next one isn’t from Atom Central, but the massive plume from the explosion here is insane.
I thought this next clip was exceptional. It’s a silent, nearly-7 minute cut that, according to Atom Central, was originally cut in 35mm. The group of soldiers around the 4:15 mark walking to the billowing smoke makes for a stunning image.
In 1951, aerial footage was captured of a bomb being dropped at a test site in Nevada. Unreal.
Last, here’s a 1957 test of an atomic bomb that was detonated on top of a 700 foot tower in Nevada, according to Atom Central. The tower alone is impressive, but then, damn.