Trinity
The Birth of the Nuclear Weapon
This recreation of the Gadget, as the scientists named the device, is shown here in this full-scale recreation being lifted to the top of the 100-foot tall tower. Located at the Nuclear Museum in Albuquerque.
Trinity
A replica of the Gadget at the Atomic Museum in Las Vegas. They claim theirs is the most accurate replica but in what way I do not know.
A replica of the Gadget at the Nuclear Museum in Albuquerque.
Trinity
Explosive Power
24.8 kt
Hiroshima Equivalent Factor
1.65x
Dimensions
Approx. 5 feet (spherical)
Weight
Approx. 4 tons
Year(s)
1945
Purpose
Test of Fat Man design
Click for details on the photographs
- This recreation of the Gadget, as the scientists named the device, is shown here in this full-scale recreation being lifted to the top of the 100-foot tall tower. Located at the Nuclear Museum in Albuquerque.
- A replica of the Gadget at the Atomic Museum in Las Vegas. They claim theirs is the most accurate replica but in what way I do not know.
- A replica of the Gadget at the Nuclear Museum in Albuquerque.
Want to see nuclear weapons for yourself, in person? Check out Where to See Nuclear Weapons in the Resources section.
Nukemap
NUKEMAP is a web-based mapping program that attempts to give the user a sense of the destructive power of nuclear weapons. It was created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian specializing in nuclear weapons (see his book on nuclear secrecy and his blog on nuclear weapons). The screenshot below shows the NUKEMAP output for this particular weapon. Click on the map to customize settings.
Videos
Click on the Play button and then the Full screen button on the lower right (the brackets on a mobile device) to view each video. Click on the Exit full screen button (the “X” on a mobile device) to return.
Further Reading
- Wikipedia, Atomic Archive, and the Atomic Heritage Foundation.
- The Day the Sun Rose Twice, by Ferenc Morton Szasz, University of New Mexico Press, 1984. It’s probably the definitive account.
- “A Few Words About This Picture,” Innovation and Technology, 1990
Initially, the Trinity “gadget” was going to be encased in a containment vessel to preserve the scarce plutonium in case the high-explosives in the device detonated but failed to produce a nuclear explosion. See also the photographs of Jumbo, the containment device, at the Atomic Archive. - “The First Atomic Bomb Mission: Trinity B-29 Operations Three Weeks Before Hiroshima,” Air Power History, Winter 2013. Aircrews observing and measuring Trinity and preparations for the nuclear test—including the detonation of 108 tons of TNT “seeded with small amounts of radioactive product”—at the Trinity site.
- Visit the site of the Trinity Explosion
Once a year the U.S. Army allows public access to the Trinity site. Be sure to watch the informational videos.