Atomic shadows: Haunting reminders of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
When atomic bombs struck Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the blinding light and heat from the explosions left only shadows of people on sidewalks, playgrounds, or stairs.
"Hibakusha" - this term refers to those who survived the atomic bomb explosions in Japan. After their deaths, their names are added to memorials, with 292,325 names in Hiroshima and 165,409 in Nagasaki. The tragedy caught people in everyday situations at the time. A famous example is the shadow of a person sitting on the steps of the Sumitomo Bank in Hiroshima. This fragment, known as the "Human Shadow Etched in Stone", is now displayed in the Hiroshima Peace Museum. It was acquired in 1971 due to its progressive fading.
How were "atomic shadows" created?
The scientific website Live Science explains in detail how "atomic shadows" were formed. Professor Michael Hartshorne, a retired radiology specialist from the University of New Mexico, whose research is cited by the site, describes the mechanism behind their creation.
According to his explanations, after each bomb explosion, intense light and heat spread from the point of implosion. People and objects in the path blocked the light and energy behind them, resulting in the "absorption" of light and energy. As a result of the bomb's detonation, the area around the figure was exposed and became lighter.
The "atomic shadows" they left behind allowed the original colors of the surface before the explosion to be preserved. A nuclear fission reaction, the source of massive energy, occurs when a neutron strikes a heavy atomic nucleus, such as the uranium-235 or plutonium-239 isotopes, causing the nucleus to split and trigger a chain reaction.
Atomic bombs were supposed to strike elsewhere
The American bomb "Little Boy" destroyed Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing approximately 90,000 people. Three days later, Nagasaki was attacked by the "Fat Man" bomb, which caused the deaths of 40,000 to 70,000 residents. The impact of this second explosion would likely have been greater if not for a hill surrounding one of the city's districts that managed to weaken the force of the shock wave.
Initially, the second attack was intended for Kokura, but bad weather conditions forced the pilots to change plans and choose Nagasaki as an alternative target. This event gave rise to the Japanese phrase "Kokura's luck", meaning a narrow escape from danger. Kokura was also intended as an alternative target for the Hiroshima attack in case of adverse weather conditions.
