Plumbbob Fizeau Atomic Test UHD

This is a clip of the Plumbbob Fizeau atomic bomb test in the Nevada Desert in 1957. It is one of the nuclear bomb tests in Operation Plumbbob.

[HankHillspimphand]

Sometimes i wonder how something so deadly and scary can be so unbelievable in its beauty.

[maksphoto]

Interesting fact - the initial fireball is not from the bomb exploding, but from the immense X-ray flux emitted from the super-critical core, turning air around the bomb into a ball of glowing plasma. It's only later that the bomb actually explodes into a fireball.

[rcnewman.]

This is some of the best footage I’ve seen. Clarity. The framing, and even the scale. These things are so hard to get an idea for scale. The road going into the distance to a point you can’t see gives a pretty good starting point

[leokimvideo]

I just love watching that shock wave devour the landscape

[Gulag_Official.]

0:15 If you slow the video *WAY* down, you may see a manhole cover for *1* frame.

[schouten]

To put this in perspective: The explosion starts at 15 seconds and it looks like the shockwave reaches the camera around 49 seconds. That is 34 seconds. Assuming the shockwave travels at a speed in a range of 1000 km/h - speed of sound, we can safely say that the distance between the camera and the nuke was around 10km distance.

[ExposingYouth]

The fact this channel is still active amazes me!
these videos are just... wow.
love it, these really are something else

[andreasdpunkt]

the explosions look so fascinating that you even enjoy looking at them.

[Evan_Bell]

Development test of the LASL externally initiated, sealed pit, composite core, boosted Python XW-34, weight; 131.3lbs (59.5kg).
Predicted yield of 8-10 kt. Actual yield of 11kt.

[magicmark]

I love how its so bright that it actually makes it look like nighttime for a second

[ExplosivesLaboratory]

*Beautiful remastered footage.* It’s just like I’m right there next to the camera…

[MooseMeus]

One of your very best. What a great shot. Amazing. 10/10

[RadagonTheRed]

It’s a mystery as to why these detonations are so beautiful and mesmerising.

[harvestercommander]

Fun fact: so far this is so far the only recorded video of a nuclear explosion that has audio. There’s another video which has the audio plus a recreation of it.

[clyde]

Weird to say but this has been my favorite bomb test footage, now even more so.

[alfielock]

That chillingly featured at the end of The Jam's classic no. 1 Going Underground.

[johngalt]

That little shockwave reaching the camera at the end and giving it a slight wiggle 👌

[gnarlock]

The light from the initial reaction is quite impressive.. it's all quite impressive and scary

[PointyTailofSatan]

Wow. You can actually see the tower before the test.

[Augustus_Imperator]

Imagine seeing something like this for the first time ever in 1945 when they first tested it. It must have been terrifying even to those who created it. I know this is 1957 footage but this is one of the earlier tests which is very clearly depicted with color, scale and everything as it would have been seen in real life.