Jack Aeby facts for kids
Jack W. Aeby (born August 16, 1923 – died June 19, 2015) was an American scientist. He is most famous for taking the only clear color photo of the very first nuclear weapon explosion. This historic event happened on July 16, 1945, at the Trinity test site in New Mexico.
While other color movies were made of the Trinity test, many were too bright or damaged. This was because the huge fireball could ruin the film. Jack Aeby was a civilian working with the Physics Group 5 when he took his famous picture.
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The Famous Photo
Jack Aeby took his famous photo using a Perfex 33 camera. He used a 35mm lens and special Anscochrome color movie film. He set the camera to a shutter speed of 1/100 of a second at f4.
Aeby was not an official photographer for the test. He was invited to take informal photos, which he often did at Los Alamos. He said he took the blast photos on a whim, thinking, "it was there so I shot it."
That night, he took the film to a local photo lab. He developed the color film himself using a special 21-step process. Later, the Los Alamos managers asked to keep the original photo negative for safety. Sadly, it has since been lost.
Aeby mentioned that his photo is often shown reversed. This was done on purpose. It made the fireball and cloud look like other official pictures taken from a different direction. Aeby took his picture from the south, at the Base Camp.
Working on the Manhattan Project
Jack Aeby joined the Manhattan Project in 1942. This was a secret project to build the first atomic bombs. He started by filling out a job application in Albuquerque.
He did many different jobs. This included driving scientists and equipment between Albuquerque and Los Alamos. Even though he was a civilian, he became a technician in the Special Engineering Detachment (SED). He eventually saw almost 100 nuclear explosions.
After World War II, Aeby earned a degree from UC Berkeley. He then returned to Los Alamos. He worked in the Health Physics Department.
Enrico Fermi's Quick Calculation
Jack Aeby was a source for an interesting story about Enrico Fermi. Fermi was a famous scientist at the Trinity test.
When the shock wave from the explosion hit Base Camp, Aeby saw Fermi. Fermi was dropping small pieces of torn paper into the air. When the shock wave arrived, it moved the confetti. From this simple test, Fermi quickly guessed how powerful the explosion was. He estimated it was like 10,000 tons of TNT exploding. Later, more exact measurements showed the explosion was even stronger, about 18,600 tons of TNT. This huge new energy came from a plutonium ball weighing only about 13.6 pounds.
Later Life and Passing
Jack Aeby lived in the Española Valley in northern New Mexico. He lived there with his wife, Jeanne. They had five children. Jack Aeby passed away at his home in Española in 2015.
Images for kids
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Full frame of the famous photo
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Aeby in 1944 with his Perfex 33 camera
See also
In Spanish: Jack Aeby para niños
