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July 16, 1945.

Seventy-eight years ago to be exact, the world鈥檚 first atomic bomb was detonated in the north-central portion of White Sands Missile Range 鈥� approximately 60 miles north of White Sands National Monument.

For the Trinity Test, the bomb was placed atop a 100-foot steel tower that was designated Zero. Ground Zero was at the foot of the tower.

Just before 5:30 a.m., the nuclear device known as 鈥淕adget鈥� was successfully detonated.

To most observers 鈥� watching through dark glasses 鈥� the brilliance of the light from the explosion overshadowed the shock wave and sound that arrived some seconds later.

A multicolored cloud surged 38,000 feet into the air within seven minutes. Where the tower had been was a crater one-half mile across and eight feet deep. Sand in the crater was fused by the intense heat into a glass-like solid, the color of green jade. This material was given the name trinitite.

Although no information on the test was released until after the atomic bomb had been used as a weapon, the flash of light and shock wave made a vivid impression over an area with a radius of at least 160 miles.

The world鈥檚 second atomic bomb, codenamed 鈥淟ittle Boy,鈥� exploded over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. Three days later, a third bomb, codenamed 鈥淔at Man,鈥� devastated the city of Nagasaki.

The test ground was named Trinity Site 鈥� marking the beginning of the Atomic Age and putting the Manhattan Project, its scientists and J. Robert Oppenheimer into the history books.

Interest in the Atomic Age鈥檚 beginnings is renewed today, driven by Christopher Nolan鈥檚 film 鈥淥ppenheimer.鈥�

The film opens nationwide on Friday, July 21.

History on display

The history is part of New Mexico鈥檚 DNA 鈥� making it an ideal place to bring the film to life.

At the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, museum officials have been seeing an uptick in attendance and interest due to the film.

鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 summer and tourism season, a lot of people are really focusing on the Manhattan Project and asking us about the 鈥極ppenheimer鈥� movie,鈥� says Jennifer Hayden, museum executive director. 鈥淲e are seeing the interest pique into the relevancy of New Mexico in the Manhattan Project. We are truly getting more interest from a variety of guests.鈥�

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History was established in 1969 as a place to learn the story of the Atomic Age 鈥� from early research of nuclear development through today鈥檚 peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

Hayden says visitors can explore how nuclear science continues to influence our world.

鈥淭he museum strives to present, through permanent and changing exhibits and displays, the diverse applications of nuclear science in the past, present and future along with the stories of the field鈥檚 pioneers,鈥� Hayden says.

At the museum, Hayden says there鈥檚 a permanent exhibit called, 鈥淐ritical Assembly, the Secrets of Los Alamos 1944: An Installation by American Sculptor Jim Sanborn.鈥�

The exhibit was created by Sanborn, who is best known for creating the encrypted 鈥淜ryptos鈥� sculpture at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Hayden says the pieces invite visitors to explore and study the artist鈥檚 rendition of the super secret experiments from the Manhattan Project鈥檚 atomic bomb program.

The installation is based on the laboratory environment for the assembly of the first atomic bomb and is gleaned from many scholarly and eyewitness accounts of the appearance of the Manhattan Project laboratories as they existed from 1943 to 1945.

It includes original electronic instruments, hardware, furniture, tools and materials used by Los Alamos National Laboratory during the 1940s.

鈥淭hese objects were acquired by Sanborn during a six-year period from a variety of sources, including former laboratory employees,鈥� she says. 鈥淎ny materials Sanborn was unable to collect in Los Alamos, he machined and fabricated himself.鈥�

That exhibit has been up since 2017 and is finding a new demographic with people wanting to learn more because of the film, Hayden says.

Throughout the museum, one can find a wide array of artifacts from this time.

鈥淲e have the casing from the 鈥楪adget鈥� on display,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e also have the casings of 鈥楩at Man鈥� and 鈥楲ittle Boy,鈥� which were the bombs used to end World War II.鈥�

Hayden says while all the artifacts are important to history, there are few that stick out.

One is the American flag that was raised at Trinity Site in 1945.

鈥淭here鈥檚 also the Packard Clipper, which we refer to as Oppenheimer鈥檚 limousine,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e know that this vehicle went from Los Alamos to the Trinity Site.鈥�

There are places in the museum that talk about the two other secret cities along with Los Alamos 鈥� Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Hanford, Washington.

Outside the museum there is a nine-acre Heritage Park.

This is where visitors can see a replica of the Trinity Tower, which is close to the B-29 Superfortress with the 鈥淔at Man鈥� bomb casing and transport container.

鈥淲hen the TV series 鈥楳anhattan鈥� was in production, the prop master came to measure our 鈥楪adget鈥� casing so a Trinity Tower could be built,鈥� Hayden says. 鈥淲hen the show was canceled, we were asked if we wanted the replica, and that鈥檚 what is standing outside of our museum today.鈥�

Hayden says for the museum, the Manhattan Project was the beginning of the Atomic Age, which was the beginning of where we are today.

鈥淎s a museum that focuses on nuclear science and history, we often look to the past to learn,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 during this time that everything was set forth. We see science in all facets of today鈥檚 world. Within energy, medicine and space exploration. We use it now for global leadership or peaceful uses.鈥�

New Mexico鈥檚 atomic anatomy

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 isn鈥檛 the only place to find exhibits on Oppenheimer.

In Los Alamos at the Bradbury Science Museum, 鈥淛. Robert Oppenheimer: The Exhibit鈥� is on display through Oct. 16.

The exhibit is a collaborative production of the Bradbury and the National Security Research Center. It provides visitors with a unique opportunity to view objects related to physicist Oppenheimer, mastermind of the Manhattan Project, 鈥渇ather of the atomic bomb鈥� and the Los Alamos National Laboratory鈥檚 first director.

According to officials, items on view include Oppenheimer鈥檚 handwritten notes on the wartime lab, his McKibbin Card (an ID card for all Project Y, which was another name for Los Alamos Laboratory employees, meticulously recorded by Oppenheimer鈥檚 secretary, Dorothy McKibbin), and his personal copy of the Bhagavad Gita, the sacred Hindu text he turned to for poetic inspiration in the wake of the Trinity Test.

The exhibit also features documents related to his 1954 security clearance trial and the Department of Energy鈥檚 2022 order to vacate the trial decision.

At the Los Alamos History Museum, which is run by the Los Alamos Historical Society, there are exhibits as well as information about what it was like to live in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project.

According to the Los Alamos Historical Society, a museum visit begins in the restored Los Alamos Ranch School Guest Cottage, where exhibits take visitors from the Pajarito Plateau鈥檚 ancestral Pueblo people to its homestead history, through the Ranch School era, and ultimately into the Manhattan Project.

The Hans Bethe House on Bathtub Row houses the Harold Agnew Cold War Gallery, with exhibits highlighting 70-plus years of Cold War history of the Los Alamos community and the laboratory. You will see scientist profiles, a Nobel Prize display, models of atomic weapons, information about Los Alamos as a community for civil defense, and a recreated living room and kitchen from the 1950s.

The Romero Cabin is a 100-year step back in time 鈥� one of three remaining area homestead cabins and the only one open to the public.

The last house on Bathtub Row is the Oppenheimer House. It is currently undergoing preservation and renovation.

In Las Cruces, at Branigan Cultural Center, 鈥淭rinity: Legacies of Nuclear Testing 鈥� A People鈥檚 Perspective鈥� will be running through Sept. 23.

In the exhibit, the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium and 17 juried artists expose the long-term effects and ramifications of nuclear testing, nuclear accidents and uranium mining on the people, animals and environment of New Mexico.

Tina Cordova is a co-founder of The Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, which formed in 2005.

The organization鈥檚 mission is to seek justice for the unknowing and uncompensated participants of the July 16, 1945, Trinity Test in southern New Mexico. Many have developed cancer, including Cordova who battles thyroid cancer. She was diagnosed at age 39.

Cordova continues to spread the word about the downwinders.

鈥淭here were 10,000 people living next to the test site. We had communities within that 50-mile radius and their genetics were changed,鈥� Cordova says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been working all these years to bring attention to this and get the government to acknowledge that they damaged people. There鈥檚 a reason they never tested a bomb 100 feet off the ground again. They learned at Trinity that this was a bad practice.鈥�