If a nuclear Weapon was sent to the moon?

Question

and detonated, would it be possible to see the explosion through a telescope from earth?

Answer 1

Lets see, the largest hydrogen bomb had a fireball of several miles, at 240,000 miles, trigonometry, that's up to 3" of arc.

We'll assume the fireball is about as bright as the surface of the sun.

The sun is 900" of arc in radius, pi*r^2 = 2544690 square arc-seconds

1.5" of arc radius circle is 7 square arc-seconds. Divide.

2544690/7 is 363527 times less bright, which according to the astronomical magnitude law is 14 magnitudes.

The sun is magnitude -26.7 so the explosion would appear as a
-13 magnitude star on the surface of the moon. Which would outshine the moon itself, unless it were full. It should be visible for many seconds.

If the brightness scales linearly with yield (I don't know if it does)then a small Hiroshima-type atomic bomb, maybe 20 kilotons, would still be as bright as Venus, or maybe Jupiter. If it happens on the lit side you probably won't notice, because of all the lunar glare. It would still be easily seen on the dark side. The small bomb also glows for a much shorter period of time.


Yes, it should be visible with your eye, easily*

Answer 2

They did visit the Moon in part to overcome the Russians and instruct superiority ( so particular a exposure Stunt as mentioned) Why no longer go returned? properly for the 1st few years it grow to be the two a case of investment and "Been there completed that" . additionally public activity had waned, viewing figures on US television for the moon missions fell, which effected the investment. the subsequent point for the Moon is a Moonbase, which would be very high priced and till newer years the technologies grow to be lacking to do it accurately. There at the instant are commercial companies desirous to construct the 1st moon base, so shall we see a lodge on the Moon in below 20 years. there will be a fastfood eating place there. it may additionally be multi-national. that's obtainable that Mars colonisation would be released from the Moon because of the fact of a decrease gravity

Answer 3

If it were on the far side of the moon directly opposite your viewpoint, almost certainly not.

If it were on the side we can see, you wouldn't need a telescope.

And, no one on Earth would die, or even become ill, as a result. (Just a response to a hysterical poster.)

Answer 4

You might be able to see the explosion but within a matter of weeks everyone would die.

Answer 5

Probably see it with the naked eye. As a dot of light and a cloud of dust.

Answer 6

If the explosion was big enough, then yes, you could.

Answer 7

most likely unless its on the other side