There are museums all over the US, but The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History focuses on the history of nuclear science to describing the people instrumental in the testing, development, and deployment of nuclear weapons from its infancy.
Its current location was established in 2009 from its original location at Kirkland Air Force Base when it closed due to heightened security measures on the base forcing the museum to a temporary location in Old Town, Albuquerque NM. The museum is a Smithsonian affiliate and the only national museum in the state of New Mexico.
Upon entering the Museum, and paying the entrance fee, the ceramic floor has the periodic table in large blocks including updated new additions to the table.
Trinity was the code name of the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, conducted by the United States Army at 5:29 am on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. The test was conducted in the Jornada del Muerto desert about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Socorro, New Mexico, on what was then the USAAF Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range (now part of White Sands Missile Range). The only structures originally in the vicinity were the McDonald Ranch House and its ancillary buildings, which scientists used as a laboratory for testing bomb components.
Outside the museum, is Heritage Park with displays of various aircraft, mobile, and static systems used to deliver different all types of nuclear bombs from anywhere in the world.
Below are photos of the nuclear bombs (Fat man and Little Boy) used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan.
So, the next time you are in the Albuquerque NM area, stop by for a detailed look and learn about the history of the nuclear age.
Leave a Reply