<p>If we detonated a nuclear weapon on the moon, the lack of an atmosphere on the moon would mean no mushroom cloud or shockwave, but anyone viewing the blast would likely get a fatal dose of ionizing radiation. </p>
<p>The explosion would probably cause moon debris ejected into space that will also strike Earth.</p>

Nuking the Moon

<p>After the Sputnik space satellite launch in 1957, the U.S. Air force commissioned a study of Lunar research flights, known as Project A119, which considered an explosion on the moon's far side to illuminate Earth's natural satellite. </p>
<p>A nuclear moon test would have been a considerable feat that could have confirmed America's leadership, but the Air Force never acted on the study.</p>

The U.S. Air Force briefly considered nuking the moon

<p>Yes, the Air Force actually once wanted to do this.</p><img alt="" title="" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/rover/profile_photos/bf2f096f-4d0a-456b-a131-44babf768632.jpg?fill=1:1&amp;resize=80:*"><div dir="ltr">
	<span dir="ltr">Getty Images</span></div><UL><LI>A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfPBt9dU60" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfPBt9dU60" dir="ltr">new video</a> shows what would happen if we detonated a <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a33337320/trinity-test-nuclear-bomb/" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a33337320/trinity-test-nuclear-bomb/" dir="ltr">nuclear weapon</a> on the moon.</LI><LI>The lack of an atmosphere would make a nuclear explosion on the moon significantly different than one on Earth.</LI><LI>During the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force actually thought about doing it as a show of scientific progress and, yes, a show of force. </LI></UL><p dir="ltr">A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfPBt9dU60" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfPBt9dU60" dir="ltr">new video</a> from the YouTube science channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsXVk37bltHxD1rDPwtNM8Q" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsXVk37bltHxD1rDPwtNM8Q" dir="ltr">Kurzgesagt</a> tackles a very serious question: What would happen if we nuked the moon?</p><div>Advertisement - Continue Reading Below</div><picture class="product-embed-image"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw,0.137xh&amp;resize=320%3A%2A" media="(min-width: 61.25rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34992705/what-would-happen-if-we-nuked-the-moon/0.137xh&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw,0.137xh&amp;resize=480%3A%2A" media="(min-width: 48rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34992705/what-would-happen-if-we-nuked-the-moon/0.137xh&amp;resize=480%3A%2A"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw,0.137xh&amp;resize=320%3A%2A" media="(min-width: 40.625rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34992705/what-would-happen-if-we-nuked-the-moon/0.137xh&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw,0.137xh&amp;resize=640%3A%2A" media="(min-width: 30rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34992705/what-would-happen-if-we-nuked-the-moon/0.137xh&amp;resize=640%3A%2A"><img alt="" title="You love badass space stuff. So do we. Let's explore the universe together." src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608216285-gettyimages-51615686-1608216221.jpg?crop=0.614xw:0.675xh;0.208xw,0.137xh&amp;resize=480%3A%2A"></picture><p>The science channel runs down a scenario in which a massive thermonuclear device is detonated on the surface of the moon, and what that would mean for astronaut observers, orbiting satellites and space stations, and even people on Earth. </p><p>The thought experiment is actually a large scale version of a scenario the U.S. Air Force once contemplated during the heady, anything-goes days of the Cold War. </p><div>
  This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
</div><p dir="ltr">The video proposes a detonating a 100-megaton thermonuclear device on the moon’s surface. That’s twice as powerful as <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a33797319/tsar-bomba-nuclear-explosion-russia-new-video/" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a33797319/tsar-bomba-nuclear-explosion-russia-new-video/" dir="ltr">Tsar Bomba</a>, a 50-megaton bomb Russia detonated in 1961. <a href="https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/tsar-bomba" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/tsar-bomba" dir="ltr"><u dir="ltr">The explosion</u></a> was so intense, it was capable of inflicting third-degree burns at a distance of 62 miles and shattered windows at 560 miles. Nobody ever attempted anything like it again.</p><div>
  This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
</div><div>Advertisement - Continue Reading Below</div><p dir="ltr">The lack of an atmosphere on the moon, the video explains, would cause several key differences between an Earth-based explosion and a moon-based one. Not only would there be no <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a33513769/beirut-explosion-cause-video-mushroom-cloud/" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a33513769/beirut-explosion-cause-video-mushroom-cloud/" dir="ltr">mushroom cloud</a> or city-shattering shockwave, but anyone viewing the blast would likely get a fatal dose of ionizing radiation.</p><p>“Unfortunately,” the narrator says, “there is hardly any safe viewing distance for a nuclear explosion on the moon.” (Bummer. That would look pretty cool.)</p><h3>🔭 The Best Telescopes for Stargazing</h3><picture class="list-product-slide-image"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608657642-screen-shot-2020-12-22-at-9-20-15-am-1608657630.png?crop=1xw:0.9730337078651685xh;center,top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A" media="(min-width: 30rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608657642-screen-shot-2020-12-22-at-9-20-15-am-1608657630.png?crop=1xw:0.9730337078651685xh;center, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34992705/what-would-happen-if-we-nuked-the-moon/top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"><img alt="Gskyer Telescope" title="Gskyer Telescope" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1608657642-screen-shot-2020-12-22-at-9-20-15-am-1608657630.png?crop=1xw:0.9730337078651685xh;center,top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"></picture><div dir="ltr">
			<div dir="ltr">BEST OVERALL </div>
				</div><div role="heading" aria-level="3">Gskyer Telescope</div><p>This telescope features a 70mm aperture and comes with&nbsp;fully coated optimal lenses&nbsp;to offer a crisp, clear view of the night's sky. Tech-savvy stargazers will appreciate the smart phone adapter and wireless camera remote, making it possible to view constellations from your screen.</p><picture class="list-product-slide-image"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1607545837-screen-shot-2020-12-09-at-12-30-20-pm-1607545830.png?crop=0.959830866807611xw:1xh;center,top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A" media="(min-width: 30rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1607545837-screen-shot-2020-12-09-at-12-30-20-pm-1607545830.png?crop=0.959830866807611xw:1xh;center, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34992705/what-would-happen-if-we-nuked-the-moon/top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"><img alt="Emarth Telescope" title="Emarth Telescope" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1607545837-screen-shot-2020-12-09-at-12-30-20-pm-1607545830.png?crop=0.959830866807611xw:1xh;center,top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"></picture><div dir="ltr">
			<div dir="ltr">BEST FOR BEGINNERS </div>
				</div><div role="heading" aria-level="3">Emarth Telescope</div><p>All you need to do is point the tube in the direction of the desired object and take a gander. With two high-quality eyepieces (70mm and 360mm) that provide low- and high-power views of celestial objects, you'll be able to satisfy&nbsp;your stargazing wishes with ease.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><picture class="list-product-slide-image"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1609963703-screen-shot-2021-01-06-at-12-08-02-pm-1609963696.png?crop=0.9703196347031964xw:1xh;center,top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A" media="(min-width: 30rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1609963703-screen-shot-2021-01-06-at-12-08-02-pm-1609963696.png?crop=0.9703196347031964xw:1xh;center, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34992705/what-would-happen-if-we-nuked-the-moon/top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"><img alt="TELMU Telescope" title="TELMU Telescope" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1609963703-screen-shot-2021-01-06-at-12-08-02-pm-1609963696.png?crop=0.9703196347031964xw:1xh;center,top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"></picture><div dir="ltr">
			<div dir="ltr">BEST BUDGET </div>
				</div><div role="heading" aria-level="3">TELMU Telescope</div><p>This option features a wide, 70-millimeter aperture that will make stars and constellations appear bright and clear. It also has a smartphone adapter so you can view everything directly from your screen.</p><picture class="list-product-slide-image"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1609963780-screen-shot-2021-01-06-at-12-09-14-pm-1609963772.png?crop=0.8949671772428884xw:1xh;center,top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A" media="(min-width: 30rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1609963780-screen-shot-2021-01-06-at-12-09-14-pm-1609963772.png?crop=0.8949671772428884xw:1xh;center, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34992705/what-would-happen-if-we-nuked-the-moon/top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"><img alt="Celestron PowerSeeker" title="Celestron PowerSeeker" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1609963780-screen-shot-2021-01-06-at-12-09-14-pm-1609963772.png?crop=0.8949671772428884xw:1xh;center,top&amp;resize=320%3A%2A"></picture><div dir="ltr">
			<div dir="ltr">BEST FOR HOBBYISTS </div>
				</div><div role="heading" aria-level="3">Celestron PowerSeeker</div><p>Using this telescope&nbsp;is easy:&nbsp;All you need to do is point the tube in the direction of the desired object and take a gander. Two eyepieces make it possible to easily score a wide or narrow view of the sky.</p><div>Advertisement - Continue Reading Below</div><p>The explosion would also likely create a shotgun-like blast of moon debris, as lower gravity makes it easier for moon rocks and dust to easily escape the moon’s gravity. This would be ejected into space, but also strike Earth, creating micrometeor showers visible in the night sky. Those same micrometeors would also be a hazard for satellites and space stations. </p><div data-align="left" dir="ltr">
	<div role="heading" aria-level="2" dir="ltr">
		Related Story
	</div>
	</div><img alt="" title="" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/moon501-1587656859.jpg?crop=1.00xw:0.767xh;0,0.0275xh&amp;resize=300:*"><p dir="ltr">As crazy all of this sounds, the U.S. Air Force <em dir="ltr">actually </em>briefly considered nuking the moon. For real. The service commissioned "A Study of Lunar Research Flights," known to history as <a href="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB479/docs/EBB-Moon02.pdf" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB479/docs/EBB-Moon02.pdf" dir="ltr"><u dir="ltr">Project A119</u></a>, which considered a <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a33534641/hiroshima-75-years-atomic-bomb-nuclear-future/" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a33534641/hiroshima-75-years-atomic-bomb-nuclear-future/" dir="ltr">Hiroshima</a>-sized explosion on the far side of the moon that would briefly illuminate Earth’s natural satellite. </p><picture class=""><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/news-photo-1608152177.?resize=768:*" media="(min-width: 61.25rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/news-photo-1608152177.?resize=768:*"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/news-photo-1608152177.?resize=980:*" media="(min-width: 48rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/news-photo-1608152177.?resize=980:*"><source data-srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/news-photo-1608152177.?resize=640:*" media="(min-width: 30rem)" srcset="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/news-photo-1608152177.?resize=640:*"><img alt="view of atlas missile launching" title="View of Atlas Missile Launching" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/news-photo-1608152177.?resize=480:*"></picture><figcaption>A moon-bound nuclear bomb might have been launched from a modified Atlas missile, shown here.</figcaption><div dir="ltr">
	<span dir="ltr">Bettmann</span><span dir="ltr">Getty Images</span></div><div>Advertisement - Continue Reading Below</div><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2000/may/14/spaceexploration.theobserver" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2000/may/14/spaceexploration.theobserver" dir="ltr"><u dir="ltr">According to the <em dir="ltr">Guardian</em></u></a>, the Air Force approached one of the study’s authors in 1958, urging him to fast-track publication. Such an event, the study noted, would be done for “scientific and military” purposes, but also for political reasons. </p><div data-align="left" dir="ltr">
	<div role="heading" aria-level="2" dir="ltr">
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	</div><img alt="" title="Black, Red, Flag, Tree, Black-and-white, Still life photography, Colorfulness, Shadow, " src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/ussr-moon-1563473092.jpg?crop=1.00xw:0.626xh;0,0.140xh&amp;resize=300:*"><p dir="ltr">The Soviet Union’s launch of the <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/news/a28496/how-sputnik-worked/" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/news/a28496/how-sputnik-worked/" dir="ltr">Sputnik</a> space satellite in 1957 shocked the world, especially the U.S., and Air Force officials were likely looking for dramatic ways to recapture the lead. A nuclear moon test would be a considerable feat in the areas of nuclear power and rocketry, confirming America’s leadership in both areas. </p><p dir="ltr">Fortunately for everyone, the Air Force never acted on the study. As a British nuclear historian quoted by the <em dir="ltr">Guardian</em> wisely notes, such a demonstration would have been “obscene.”</p><h3><strong>🎥 Now Watch This:</strong></h3><div>
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A new video﻿ shows what would happen if we detonated a nuclear weapon﻿ on the moon. Yes, the Air Force actually once wanted to do this.

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<p>Yes, the Air Force actually once wanted to do this. </p>

<ul><li>A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfPBt9dU60">new video </a>shows what would happen if we detonated a <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a33337320/trinity-test-nuclear-bomb/">nuclear weapon </a>on the moon. </li><li>The lack of an atmosphere would make a nuclear explosion on the moon significantly different than one on Earth. </li><li>During the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force actually thought about doing it as a show of scientific progress and, yes, a show of force. </li> </ul>

<p>A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfPBt9dU60">new video </a>from the YouTube science channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsXVk37bltHxD1rDPwtNM8Q">Kurzgesagt </a>tackles a very serious question: What would happen if we nuked the moon? </p>

<p>The science channel runs down a scenario in which a massive thermonuclear device is detonated on the surface of the moon, and what that would mean for astronaut observers, orbiting satellites and space stations, and even people on Earth. </p>

<p>The thought experiment is actually a large scale version of a scenario the U.S. Air Force once contemplated during the heady, anything-goes days of the Cold War. </p>

<p>The video proposes a detonating a 100-megaton thermonuclear device on the moon’s surface. That’s twice as powerful as <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a33797319/tsar-bomba-nuclear-explosion-russia-new-video/">Tsar Bomba </a>, a 50-megaton bomb Russia detonated in 1961. <a href="https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/tsar-bomba"><u>The explosion </u> </a>was so intense, it was capable of inflicting third-degree burns at a distance of 62 miles and shattered windows at 560 miles. Nobody ever attempted anything like it again. </p>

<p>The lack of an atmosphere on the moon, the video explains, would cause several key differences between an Earth-based explosion and a moon-based one. Not only would there be no <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a33513769/beirut-explosion-cause-video-mushroom-cloud/">mushroom cloud </a>or city-shattering shockwave, but anyone viewing the blast would likely get a fatal dose of ionizing radiation. </p>

<p>“Unfortunately,” the narrator says, “there is hardly any safe viewing distance for a nuclear explosion on the moon.” (Bummer. That would look pretty cool.) </p>

<p>This telescope features a 70mm aperture and comes with fully coated optimal lenses to offer a crisp, clear view of the night's sky. Tech-savvy stargazers will appreciate the smart phone adapter and wireless camera remote, making it possible to view constellations from your screen. </p>

<p>All you need to do is point the tube in the direction of the desired object and take a gander. With two high-quality eyepieces (70mm and 360mm) that provide low- and high-power views of celestial objects, you'll be able to satisfy your stargazing wishes with ease.   </p>

<p>This option features a wide, 70-millimeter aperture that will make stars and constellations appear bright and clear. It also has a smartphone adapter so you can view everything directly from your screen. </p>

<p>Using this telescope is easy: All you need to do is point the tube in the direction of the desired object and take a gander. Two eyepieces make it possible to easily score a wide or narrow view of the sky. </p>

<p>The explosion would also likely create a shotgun-like blast of moon debris, as lower gravity makes it easier for moon rocks and dust to easily escape the moon’s gravity. This would be ejected into space, but also strike Earth, creating micrometeor showers visible in the night sky. Those same micrometeors would also be a hazard for satellites and space stations. </p>

<p>As crazy all of this sounds, the U.S. Air Force <em>actually </em>briefly considered nuking the moon. For real. The service commissioned "A Study of Lunar Research Flights," known to history as <a href="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB479/docs/EBB-Moon02.pdf"><u>Project A119 </u> </a>, which considered a <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a33534641/hiroshima-75-years-atomic-bomb-nuclear-future/">Hiroshima </a>-sized explosion on the far side of the moon that would briefly illuminate Earth’s natural satellite. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2000/may/14/spaceexploration.theobserver"><u>According to the <em>Guardian </em> </u> </a>, the Air Force approached one of the study’s authors in 1958, urging him to fast-track publication. Such an event, the study noted, would be done for “scientific and military” purposes, but also for political reasons. </p>

<p>The Soviet Union’s launch of the <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/news/a28496/how-sputnik-worked/">Sputnik </a>space satellite in 1957 shocked the world, especially the U.S., and Air Force officials were likely looking for dramatic ways to recapture the lead. A nuclear moon test would be a considerable feat in the areas of nuclear power and rocketry, confirming America’s leadership in both areas. </p>

<p>Fortunately for everyone, the Air Force never acted on the study. As a British nuclear historian quoted by the <em>Guardian </em>wisely notes, such a demonstration would have been “obscene.” </p>

What Would Happen If We Nuked the Moon

Nuking the Moon

The U.S. Air Force briefly considered nuking the moon

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