What would happen if we set a nuclear bomb off in space?

Question

Curiosity killed the cat

Answer 1

(i will not explain all the scientific mumbo jumbos, but only the basic stuff)

depends on where the explosion happens.

if somewhere very near to the earth, some people may get their heads cracked by the raining satellite pieces.

if somewhere a bit far away, waste of money and nothing else. no 'draining in the tub's and 'reaching the other end of the universe'.

as the matter of fact, stars are themselves humongous nuclear bombs.

Answer 2

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/nucl...

read where you see that picture....near the bottom of the page...

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear...

Answer 3

Death to the human race.

Answer 4

It's been done.

It's a bright flash, followed by EMP, and a lot of static for several hundred miles, then a shower of radioactive debris...  

Answer 5

No sounds. NOTHING happens. Just bunch of debris floating around after explosion.

Answer 6

I think, that instead of the common mushroom, we would see an spherical explosion, rapidly diffused in the vacuum

very bright, indeed

but, would there be a ring? the one the movies usually put, getting rapidly away from the blast?

Answer 7

The nuclear explosion depending on size would probably cause enough lighting to get people looking out their windows and see a dim new sun but nothing too drastic. I'm not sure but I think the charged particles that would rain down on the Earth would cause an Aurora Borealis at night. Also I'm not sure if the ionized radioactive debris will make it too Earth. It may just get pushed out away from us by the Earths magnetic field, but if  were to fall to Earth there might be some noticeable increases in cases of cancer in certain portions of the world.

We might lose a lot of satellites if the bomb goes off in the wrong spot. The debris might set off a destructive chaotic chain reaction that will change the trajectory of every tiny piece of debris in orbit making all future space flight much more dangerous. Such a chain reaction is predicted to happen in the foreseeable future... especially if either China blows up some more satellites or we begin detonating thermonuclear warhead above our sorry selves.

Answer 8

maybe create a black hole?

Answer 9

nothing because there is no air no life no nothing so it will be a piece of junk in space

Answer 10

It would send out a large pulse of heat and energy, but minimal shock wave.  Shock wave is a function of pressure, so no atmosphere would limit the shock wave to self contained elements of explosion.

Answer 11

it will punch a massive gravo-metric hole through subspace and everything will start swirling around this hole like water draining out of the tub.... we will then re-emerge on the other side oblivous to what happened...

Answer 12

I would think it wouldn't do anything because in space there nothing. No Air pressure, Oxygen, It's freezing cold or boiling hot. So what could set it off?  But if you set it off the other way, It would explode into clouds and leave behind radiation and junk.