A bullet striking an apple, captured by a camera capable of recording 1 trillion frames per second:

This is, perhaps, one of the most striking images of an apple ever taken. It is being pierced by a supersonic .30 caliber bullet.

The moment was frozen in time by a camera capable of snapping a photo in just 1/3 of a microsecond.

To capture this fleeting moment, the exposure had to occur in complete darkness. A microphone, placed near the apple, detected the rifle shot’s sound, relayed it to an electronic delay circuit, and triggered the flash at precisely the right instant.

The technology behind Edgerton’s EG&G Microflash is as fascinating as the photo itself. Unlike standard flash lamps, which use xenon gas, the microflash employs ordinary air, producing a far shorter afterglow.

When the high-voltage spark arcs through a quartz tube, it displaces the surrounding air, creating a flash of light so brief and intense that it can capture the unseen—much like lightning illuminates the night sky. Even the equipment makes its mark: the microflash generates its own “thunder,” muffled only by a glass tube sealed with rubber.

Image: Harold “Doc” Edgerton/MIT
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