With the 'naked' eye? I would say no, unless it's on the limb.
2006-09-06 16:09:45 · 19 answers · asked by fresh2 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
If you have really good vision and the bomb was a big one, I'd say you could see it. However, being that the full moon (or even a half moon) is the brightest object in the night sky, your eyes will adjust accordingly. Therefore the bomb blast may only appear marginally brighter and unless you were sitting there, watching the moon and waiting for it to go off, chances are you'd never notice it.
In other words, you are outside at night, or driving in a car, and you see the moon out of the corner of your eye. Then you would probably miss it.
2006-09-06 16:34:27 · answer #1 · answered by Schrecken 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the circumstances.
If you detonated it on the far side, you probably wouldn't see it at all, since the moon is tidally locked with earth.
Even if you blew it up on the near side, it would have to be a pretty good blast. Something like Trinity(19 kilotons) wouldn't do...It would have to be something in the neighborhood of an Ivy Mike (10,200 kt) or Tsar Bomba (50,000 kt). It might be hard to spot with the naked eye if the moon was full, but if it was dark (a new moon, for example) you might see the flash, and possibly even the fireball.
2006-09-07 00:39:03 · answer #2 · answered by swilliamrex 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it was a large enough bomb, and it was exploded on the side of the moon that faces Earth, then yes, it would be briefly visible to the naked eye.
2006-09-06 23:16:50 · answer #3 · answered by sandislandtim 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. It would probably take shape of a mushroom.
Let us send an atomic bomb to the moon just for science sake. It wouldn't hurt would it?
2006-09-06 23:52:12 · answer #4 · answered by Ah Boi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The crater on the moon is 93 kilometers (57miles) in diameter. A very large atomic bomb can have a blast radius of 110 miles (177 kilometers) in diameter. So yes you could.
2006-09-06 23:21:56 · answer #5 · answered by sheltz32tt 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
if it is set off on the side of the moon that faces the earth you will definetely see it. the moon has no atmosphere to cover up the surface. you can see the craters on the moon. a large flash next to one of those craters will be seen from the earth.
2006-09-06 23:17:33 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As with anything, it depends on the sizes involved, and where. The smallest nuclear weapon made in the U.S., the Davy Crockett, could be invisible if detonated on the lit half during a full moon. It would depend, though.
2006-09-06 23:17:55 · answer #7 · answered by galaxy625 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Oh, you would see it.
Craters are visible with the naked eye, and the dust cloud would obscure the clear vision we have of the surface.
2006-09-06 23:11:13 · answer #8 · answered by powhound 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would depend on which side of the moon it was on and the yield of the bomb.
2006-09-06 23:16:48 · answer #9 · answered by luther 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Say whatever you want. But you'd have no trouble at all seeing it. (Unless, of course, it was on the backside âº)
Doug
2006-09-06 23:12:11 · answer #10 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋