Science Art: Photograph taken from a high-speed video camera during a record-setting firing of an electromagnetic railgun (EMRG)…, 2008.

20 April 2020 grant Featured, Science Art 0

scientific illustration of a railgun projectile fired during a US Navy test run.
080131-N-0000X-001 DAHLGREN, Va. (Jan. 31, 2008) Photograph taken from a high-speed video camera during a record-setting firing of an electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Va., on January 31, 2008, firing at 10.64MJ (megajoules) with a muzzle velocity of 2520 meters per second. The Office of Naval ResearchÕs EMRG program is part of the Department of the NavyÕs Science and Technology investments, focused on developing new technologies to support Navy and Marine Corps war fighting needs. This photograph is a frame taken from a high-speed video camera. U.S. Navy Photograph (Released)
scientific illustration of a railgun projectile fired during a US Navy test run.

scientific illustration of a railgun projectile fired during a US Navy test run. Click to embiggen

No gunpowder was harmed in the making of this photograph. That’s just the power of a lot of magnetism making a hunk of metal go really, really fast through the air.

From the US Navy’s description, copied on Wikimedia Commons:

Photograph taken from a high-speed video camera during a record-setting firing of an electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Va., on January 31, 2008, firing a 3.2 kg projectile at 10.64MJ (megajoules) with a muzzle velocity of 2520 meters per second. The Office of Naval Research’s EMRG program is part of the Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology investments, focused on developing new technologies to support Navy and Marine Corps war fighting needs. This photograph is a frame taken from a high-speed video camera. U.S. Navy Photograph (Released)