How many megatons would it take to destroy a planet?

You need about 2E32 J to completely obliterate the planet. That gives about 5E16 megatons. That’s 50 quadrillion.

How powerful is a supernova in megatons?

Supernovae are one of the most energetic explosions in nature, equivalent to the power in a 1028 megaton bomb (i.e., a few octillion nuclear warheads).

How many megatons do you need for nuclear winter?

Averaging around 15 megatons yeild, as I recall. The nuclear winter effect was postulated from a “total exchange” between the two powers, with enormous destruction and not only stuff being put into the atmosphere from the bombs themselves, but from the subsequent city-sized fires and such.

How much damage can a blast do?

Blast overpressures of the order of 4 to 10 pounds per square inch will destroy most structures. Thermal intensities of the order of 4 to 10 calories per square centimeter will produce severe burns to exposed persons. Nuclear radiation dosages in the range 500 to 5,000 roentgens are required to produce death or quick incapacitation in humans.

How many nukes would it take to destroy the Earth?

Can’t be done. You’d need a different order of magnitude of nukes to destroy the planet, than all the nukes on earth. Around 2056 nukes have already been detonated on earth. Up to 50 megatons in power (Tsar Bomba).

How big would a nuclear explosion on Earth be?

The 1.5-PSI blast wave, which would shatter glass windows, extends around 18 miles (29 km) from the epicenter, or an area of 950 square miles. Now, if we spaced out the nuclear weapons to cover all of the Earth’s land masses, this is where the numbers go crazy.

What happens when you get hit by a Nuclear Blast?

As the video above explains, approximately 35 percent of the energy of a nuclear blast is released in the form of thermal radiation. And seeing as thermal radiation travels at approximately the speed of light, the first thing that will hit you is a flash of blinding light and heat.