NOVA bomb

"This is the prototype NOVA Bomb, nine fusion warheads encased in lithium triteride armor. When detonated, it compresses its fusionable material to neutron-star density, boosting the thermonuclear yield a hundredfold. I am Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb, temporarily in command of the UNSC military base Reach. To the Covenant uglies that might be listening, you have a few seconds to pray to your damned heathen gods. You all have a nice day in hell..."

— Danforth Whitcomb's recording on the NOVA bomb.

The NOVA Bomb is a thermonuclear weapon of the United Nations Space Command, which has a high explosive yield, having the ability to destroy moons.

Theory

The NOVA Bomb itself is nine fusion warheads encased in lithium triteride. When the warheads are activated, the lithium triteride shell focuses the blast upon itself, multiplying the destructive power a hundredfold, giving the NOVA Bomb an unprecedented payload for its size. Its capability to destroy a planet gave it the nickname of "planet-killer". The full power of this weapon has never been mentioned in the Halo Series.

History

It was intended for the NOVA Bomb be used in space against the Covenant fleet during the Battle of Reach. In the novel, they were left on Reach and "repurposed" by Admiral Whitcomb. His reasoning was that "Either the Covenant pack those bombs up and take them home for study, a possibility that I hope to God happens. A bomb like that could crack their homeworld in two. Or, the bombs stay here, and they'll stop the Covenant on Reach..."

The NOVA Bomb has only been used once, when it was accidentally detonated by a group of Huragok, who, through thier curiosity and obsession, fixed it, resulting in its detonation. The resulting explosion detonated between a Covenant outpost planet Joyous Exultation and its moon, Malhiem, scorching a quarter of the planet and shattering the moon, and the resulting winds on Joyous Exultation flattened cities and spawned tidal waves. Every ship not on the dark side of the planet boiled and vaporized in an instant. This was actually extremely unfortunate as the Elites, lead by Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree could have shattered the Brute fleet, thus effectively destroying the Covenant. This could have turned the tide of the war for both the UNSC and the Covenant Separatists. It severely damaged three-quarters of the fleets that were there, which was over 300 ships. Only eighteen destoyers, two crusers and one carrier escaped the NOVA bomb due to slipspace entry moments before the explosion.

Delta Halo

In Ghosts of Onyx, Cortana requests that the UNSC launch a NOVA Bomb around Delta Halo and High Charity to stop the spread of the Flood and destroy the Covenant Holy Capital. However, this request was not granted likely due to the low number of nuclear warheads left and their need to protect the inner colonies. High Charity was not bombed and landed on the Ark. It is also possible that this request was granted, but that High Charity just got out in time.

Trivia

• The Nova Bomb was a bomb in the book Starship Troopers, wherein it is described as "being able to split a planet in half." It is likely that this inspired the Nova Bomb.
• A Nova Bomb is also the common name for the heavy bomb used in Starfox games. Though not nearly as powerful as the Halo and Starship Trooper bombs of the same name, the Nova Bomb is one of the most powerful weapons you can use in the Starfox series.
• The Nova Bomb also appears in the Andromeda TV series. In that show it is a weapon capable of causing stars to go into the supernova stage, therefore destroying the system around it.