what would happen if a nuclear bomb was set off in space?

Question

would there be any effects on earth? i know that it could affect satelites

Answer 1

The blast would expand in all directions and there would be no sound. The effect of the explosion on the earth would depend on the proximity of the detonation and the size of the nuclear bomb. A large bomb of a few megatons would certainly cause damage if set off about 150km above the earth's surface. Radioactive fallout would enter the earth's atmosphere and contaminate a wide area of the earth's surface. The blast would cause large numbers of injuries and fatalities if detonated over a major city. You're right about satellites...any spacecraft close to the explosion would be destroyed,damaged, or possibly thrust out of its orbit depending on how close it was to the blast.

Answer 2

The main problem with a nuc detonating in space is the EMP.
The Electro-Magnetic Pulse. This is a giant energy wave that causes all electronic equipment to fry. Only specially shielded equipment will survive. If the bomb blows up a city, thousands die and lots of other horrible things happen. If it blown up in space then all communications would be wiped out in a very large area.
This means: no cell phones, no telephones, no radios, no TVs, no police radios, no lights, no computers, no automobiles and every other thing controlled by electronics would be dead.
Every airplane flying would suddenly shut off, then fall to Earth. Everyone dead.
We'd be back to the stone age in seconds.
Only old cars would run, gas pumps would not.
No TV, Radio or phones. We wouldn't know what the hell happened!
Massive panic would grip the country. Looting and crime would suddenly be everywhere. The most valuable thing anywhere would be drinking water, then food.
That is when you are going to be glad that we have the right to have guns.
That will be the only thing that keeps you and your family alive.
The ability to defend yourself.
Keep the Second Amendment !

Nuclear explosions do not need oxygen.

Answer 3

Our Sun is - in this
sense - an atomic bomb, where fusion processes occur
( hydrogen atoms become helium atoms). There is a
lost of mass after this reaction, that is converted in energy
( E= mc^2). But, on the other side, its mass is so big that
the gravity force keeps the star as a body in space. In the
case of a weapon - like you propose - the products will
be dispersed all over the universe. The effect would be
similar to that observed on the Earth, with some differences
when you consider that there is no air in space. Electro-
magnetic waves would be liberated with radioactive particles,
as well, and the intensity of this effect would decrease with
the square of the distance of the explosion.

Answer 4

Aside from the EMP and bright light, the bomb itself would vaporize, and quickly dissipate as plasma and gas.
Assume the bomb was 2,000 lb mass, then a sphere 100 miles in diameter contains approx 528,000 cu miles, giving about 1/250 lb per cubic mile of gas (vaporized bomb). That's pretty close to a vacuum.
Much of the destruction of an atmospheric detonation is due to conduction of mechanical energy through the ground and air (the shock wave).

Answer 5

key factor is the yield of the nuclear bomb, since there is tones of gamma radidtion in ourspace along side others.
it depends on how close the explision is, if it was very close to earth it will cause a massive EMP.
that would fry all electonic gear on earth with within a certain area and all the sats in orbit would just fall from the sky.

Answer 6

Just depends on how far away from Earth you detonated.

Answer 7

Wouldn't it need Oxygen for the explosion to take place