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This Day in History: The Trinity TestOn July 16, 1945, at 5:29:45 am, the first atomic bomb detonated in New Mexico's Jornada del Muerto desert.An incredible flash of light illuminated the sky as air temperatures rose to over 9,000°F (4982°C). A mushroom cloud rose 7.5 miles (12 km) above the most violent man-made explosion to that date. The bomb exploded with the energy of 24.8 kilotons of TNT. Kenneth Bainbridge, director of the Trinity Test, called it “a foul and awesome display.” “The atom bomb did not fit into any pre-conceptions possessed by anybody,” said physicist Norris Bradbury. The Manhattan Project had started the era of nuclear weapons. Image Caption: The Trinity Test, July 16, 1945.Image Credit: White Sands Missile Range