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Tsar Bomba facts for kids

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Testing site of Tsar Bomba.

Tsar Bomba, the nickname for the AN602 H-bomb, was the largest, most powerful nuclear weapon ever used. It was originally tested by the Soviet Union on October 30, 1961. It was a three stage H-bomb.

This bomb is also called the Father of Bombs.

The explosion had a power of 56,000,000 tonns of TNT (56 Megatonns). The Tsar Bomb was actually designed as a 100 Megatonn-Bomb. But as there were problems to detonate a bomb as strong as 100,000,000 tonns of TNT, the Soviet Union technicians reduced its power to 56 Megatonns.

The testing site of the nuclear bomb was Novaya Zemlya. There was not much fallout because the bomb was detonated at 13 km (8.1 mi) height.

The bomb was dropped by a Soviet bomber, the Tupolev Tu-95. This was the only plane in the world which could carry the bomb. When the bomb exploded, the bomber fell one Kilometer in height from the huge blast wave.

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