The Rapatronic Camera: Capturing the First Moments of a Nuclear Explosion

The Rapatronic Camera: Capturing the First Moments of a Nuclear Explosion

Developed during the Cold War, the Rapatronic camera was a groundbreaking invention designed to capture the first microseconds of a nuclear explosion with unprecedented precision.

Created by Dr. Harold Edgerton and Charles Wyckoff, the camera played a crucial role in documenting nuclear tests from the Manhattan Project and beyond. 

It used a rotating mirror mechanism and ultra-fast shutter speeds, enabling it to capture events that conventional cameras were too slow to record.