The Nuclear Shadows Of Hiroshima and Nagasaki In Japan Grim Reminders of Atomic Bombs Use

@TheCosmosNews #thecosmosnews Black shadows of humans and objects, like bicycles, were found scattered across the sidewalks and buildings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two of the largest cities in Japan, in the wake of the atomic blast detonated over each city on Aug. 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. It s hard to fathom that these shadows likely encapsulated each person s last moments. But how did these shadows come to be? According to Dr. Michael Hartshorne, emeritus trustee of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and professor emeritus of radiology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, when each bomb exploded, the intense light and heat spread out from the point of implosion. Objects and people in its path shielded objects behind them by absorbing the light and energy. The surrounding light bleached the concrete or stone around the "shadow." In other words, those eerie shadows are actually how the sidewalk or building looked, more or less, before the nuclear blast. It s just that the rest of the surfaces were bleached, making the regularly colored area look like a dark shadow. The United States targeted both Japanese cities during the war for their military significance. As time has passed, the long-term consequences of the radiation released by each bomb has raised significant questions about their use. Many of the shadows etched into the stone were lost to weathering and erosion by wind and water. Several nuclear shadows have been removed and preserved in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum for future generations to ponder these events. It is very important to keep in mind the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. "It is very easy to regard these weapons as tools of statecraft and not weapons of mass destruction. The nuclear shadows serve as a potent reminder of the human cost of atomic weapon use.