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More than a century after it sank, the very first full-size scans of the Titanic show the historic shipwreck astonishing detail.
Experts captured thousands of digital images to create a stunning 3D reconstruction of the wreck, now 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The images, published by the BBCreveal the wreckage in more detail than ever before, including rusty stalactites on the ship’s bow, the serial number on a propeller, and a hole above where the grand staircase once stood.
They present the Titanic almost as if it had been pulled out of the water, although this probably never will because the wreck is so fragile that it would fall apart with any movement.
Experts hope studies of the scans can reveal more about the mysteries surrounding what happened on that fateful night in April 1912, such as the exact mechanics of how it hit the seafloor.
The images, published by the BBC, reveal more details than before. Pictured is the ship’s bow, much of which is buried in mud from the force of the impact when it hit the ocean floor in the early hours of April 15, 1912
Images show the stern (the back of the ship) as a twisted mess of metal, after hitting the ocean floor and still spinning counterclockwise
The luxury ocean liner — owned and operated by British company White Star Line — tragically sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean, killing an estimated 1,517 of the 2,224 people on board. came to life.
Her remains now lie on the seabed about 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, though the fragile underwater wreck is deteriorating so rapidly that it could completely disappear within the next 40 years.
“There are still questions, fundamental questions, that need to be answered about the ship,” Titanic analyst Parks Stephenson told the BBC.
‘[The model is] one of the first major steps in moving the Titanic story toward evidence-based research—not speculation.”
Stephenson said he was “amazed” when he first saw the scans, made last summer by deep-sea mapping company Magellan Ltd during an expedition, which will be the subject of an upcoming Atlantic Productions documentary.
“It allows you to see the wreck like you can never see it from a submarine, and you can see the wreck in its entirety, you can see it in context and perspective,” Stephenson said.
“And what it shows you now is the true state of the wreck.”
Titanic broke in half just before it made its final dive in the early hours of April 15, 1912, and now two parts of the ship – the bow and the stern – lie 800 meters apart.
Both halves are surrounded by a field of rubble made up of bits of metal, furniture, unopened champagne bottles and even passengers’ shoes.
Magellan Ltd sent submersibles down to examine all parts of the wreck, which lies approximately 4,000 feet below the water’s surface.
The submarines spent more than 200 hours taking 700,000 images of every corner of the ship to create the 3D reconstruction.
Images show rusty stalactites on the bow of the ship, the serial number on a propeller and a hole above where the grand staircase once stood
The Titanic’s grand staircase was possibly the most famous part of the first-class section of the RMS Titanic. The photo shows the hole where the stairs were located
The largest ship: RMS Titanic departed Southampton on April 10, 1912. She would never return from this maiden voyage. Her remains now lie on the sea floor about 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada
Deep-sea charts from the ship make it look like all the water has drained out of the water, making it easier to see what’s left with clearer detail compared to cameras and lights.
Images show the stern (the back of the ship) as a twisted mess of metal, after it hit the ocean floor, still spinning counterclockwise.
The V-shaped bow, meanwhile, is more recognizable, complete with handrails, although much of it has been buried under mud by the force of the impact.
Stephenson said we still “really don’t understand everything” about Titanic’s collision with the iceberg, so the new images could help reveal more.
“We don’t even know if she hit him on the starboard side, as all the movies show—maybe she ran aground on the iceberg.”
Built by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest afloat ship of her time.
The passenger ship, owned and operated by the White Star Line, departed on April 10, 1912, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
The liner made two brief stops en route to her planned Atlantic crossing — one at the French port of Cherbourg, the other at Cork Port, Ireland, where smaller vessels boarded and disembarked passengers from the Titanic.
On April 14, the Titanic struck an iceberg at around 11:40 PM local time, creating six narrow openings in the ship’s starboard hull, believed to be due to the rivet breaking in the hull.
The luxury ocean liner tragically sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912 after the collision, killing an estimated 1,517 of the 2,224 people on board.
Experts hope studies of the scans can reveal more about the mysteries surrounding what happened on that fateful night in April 1912, such as the exact mechanics of how it hit the sea floor.
The wreck was not located until September 1, 1985, a discovery that made headlines worldwide.
While some shipwrecks have been brought ashore, this will probably never happen with the Titanic.
Experts think it is too delicate to be moved because of its continued deterioration from corrosion, biological activity and deep ocean currents, although there would also be serious moral implications.
British Titanic survivor Eva Hart, who lost her father to the disaster, said shortly before her death in 1996: ‘I really hope they never try to retrieve any part of it.
“I really hope they’ll remember that this is a grave — a grave of 1,500 people who should never have died, and I don’t think you should go robbing graves there and I’m very much against it.”