Area 51 has long been shrouded in mystery and speculation, with various theories attempting to unravel its secretive history. Some theories are fascinating, others terrifying, but one theory might shed light on the enigmatic site’s past.
Known for its intense security and the air of conspiracy surrounding it, Area 51 has become synonymous with secrecy. Theories about the site range from bizarre to extraordinary, with some suggesting it houses crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft.
One confirmed use of Area 51 was as a US Air Force test base, where many experimental aircraft were developed during the Cold War. This explanation aligns with the high level of secrecy and the numerous reported UFO sightings in the surrounding area.
However, during the Cold War, the desolate desert also served another purpose: the development of nuclear weapons, an invention that has profoundly impacted human history and holds the potential for global catastrophe.
Images posted on Reddit from Google Earth reveal a series of large craters in the landscape. Upon investigation, these craters were found to be consistent with the explosive power of nuclear warheads tested in the area during the Cold War. This era saw the rapid proliferation of nuclear weapons, with governments striving to develop increasingly powerful bombs. Some tests even included constructing small “nuke towns” nearby to study the effects.
A Reddit user shared their findings, stating: “On Google Earth Pro (free desktop app) you can find out what bomb caused each crater. This is the largest crater I could find, measuring 0.23 miles across. It was from the US nuke Hermosa and was detonated on APR 2 1985 at 20:00:00.09 GMT. It was a 150 kiloton nuke.”
For perspective, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, which instantly killed at least 70,000 people (about 20 percent of the city’s population), was around 15 kilotons. The largest warhead currently in the US arsenal is the B83, with a yield of up to 1.2 megatons.
Regarding the “nuketown,” this is not the small multiplayer map from Call of Duty: Black Ops. However, similar test sites might have existed, consisting of mock buildings constructed to observe the impact of nuclear explosions on typical US towns. These tests provided valuable insights into the destructive power of nuclear weapons at various distances from the blast.
Despite these revelations, some remain skeptical. One person joked, “Dude, those are UFO crash sites.” Another added, “Nukes? Pfft. Obviously a Sarlacc Pit.”
