At the height that the lonely plane was flying at, the weather was extremely cold but clear. So clear that the intense morning sun glinting off of the windows as the plane made its final turn towards its destination would have temporarily blinded anyone seeing the reflection. Still, the aircraft successfully aligned with the city far below as the bomb bay doors trundled open exposing the lone bomb tucked within.
At the appointed place and time, the bomb was released and quickly picked up speed as it fell towards its target. When it reached its designed altitude above the city a perfectly shaped spherical charge exploded compressing the radioactive material within causing it to reach critical mass. In that instant, at 8:15, on the morning of August 6, 1945, a burning flash of light filled the sky as the Japanese city of Hiroshima was engulfed in a pressure wave never before experienced by any city on this planet.
The pressure wave at ground zero moved at almost a 1,000 miles per hour. Even after it had traveled a mile away it was still moving at almost 200 miles per hour. What wasn't destroyed by the pressure wave was burned by the heat. At ground zero, the temperature rose to 7,000F. Stone melted and sand became glass. Within hours, gamma and neutron radiation killed those who survived the pressure and the heat.
Let us remember what happened that day, the lives that were ended, and pray that we never have to see such a flash of light again.
Have a Great Weekend Everyone - Aloha!
