* Astronomy

As a defence scientist, Archie Pennie led a 1964 experiment to recreate the effects of a nuclear weapon by exploding 500 tonnes of TNT.

The experiment was known as 'Operation Snowball,' with an estimated blast one-fifteenth of that at Hiroshima.  The on-site preparations called for a maze of electrical cables to send the hundreds of signals to the targets, to high-speed cameras, and to other measuring devices set out around ground zero.  The majority of the Station employees lived in the Crown village of Ralston, some two miles from the laboratories.  It consisted of 450 homes and the usual amenities associated with a thriving village.  On the blast day, all dependents - young and old - were invited as spectators and were positioned 19,500 feet from ground zero.  VIPs, including the Minister of National Defence, Paul Hellyer, and technical observers were positioned at a spot 16,500 feet from the charge.
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