The Trinity Site, a historic landmark with unparalleled significance that appears in the film “Oppenheimer“, will open its doors on October 21st, providing a unique experience for atomic history and astronomy enthusiasts.
Located in the remote desert of New Mexico in the United States, this annual event offers a rare opportunity for visitors to explore the site where humanity’s first nuclear explosion occurred in 1945.
Nuclear History’s Ground Zero: Trinity Site
Trinity Site is the place where nuclear history was rewritten on July 16, 1945, when the first atomic bomb was detonated, lighting up the night sky with plutonium gamma rays.
Photo: Getty Images/Reproduction
This historic landmark is normally closed to the public, but it opens its doors on just two Saturdays a year: in April and, luckily for fans of the film “Oppenheimer” and those interested in atomic history, again in October.
Located on the White Sands Missile Range, Trinity Site is a secure military installation amid a desert plateau, where creosote bushes are virtually the only visible life form.
Photo: EPA/Shutterstock/Reproduction
It is a landscape that contrasts drastically with the hustle and bustle of the cities and offers an opportunity to reflect on the history that changed the course of humanity.
An extraordinary visit to the Very Large Array Radio Observatory (VLA)
In addition to visiting the Trinity Site, adventurers will have the chance to explore the Very Large Array Radio Observatory (VLA), one of the most impressive radio telescopes in the world. This observatory was immortalized in the 1997 film “Contact” and is known for its ability to capture radio waves far from the cosmos.
With 27 colossal dishes measuring 25 meters in diameter each, the VLA is capable of mapping the universe in search of answers to astronomical questions that defy human understanding. Visitors can admire this feat of engineering and explore the space mysteries as they reflect on Earth’s nuclear past.
Photo: Bettymaya Foott/NRAO/AUI/NSF/Reproduction
Visiting the Trinity Site transports visitors back to a pivotal moment in history when humanity witnessed the inaugural nuclear explosion. The site is surrounded by a unique atmosphere that combines the sacred with the historic, with vendors offering souvenirs and Geiger counters alerting you to the presence of radioactivity.
Visitors can even pose for photos inside the “Jumbo,” the steel cylinder that would serve to contain the bomb’s plutonium core in the event of a failed detonation.
The culminating moment is the arrival at Ground Zero, marked by a black stone obelisk that offers a unique view of the place that changed the course of humanity.
Photo: The Washington Post/Reproduction
The journey doesn’t stop there. The Very Large Array Radio Observatory is an invitation to explore the mysteries of the universe and ponder the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The observatory captures natural radio waves from objects in space and turns this information into fascinating images of the cosmos.
A date to be set: October 21
The Trinity Site and the Very Large Array Radio Observatory will open their doors on October 21st to a limited number of visitors. The opportunity is free, but capacity is restricted to the first 5,000 visitors to arrive.
To get to the Trinity Site, it is recommended to rent a car at Albuquerque Sunport, follow the instructions provided by the Army and arrive before 8 am when the gate opens. Army officials will check the identity of visitors and take them to Ground Zero.
After exploring nuclear history at Trinity, visitors can take Highway 380 to visit the VLA, where they will be captivated by the search for answers in the vastness of space.
If you are unable to attend this special visit, do not miss the opportunity to visit the Trinity Site again on April 6, 2024. The combination of history and astronomy offers a unique experience, which broadens the horizons of knowledge and imagination.
