The Elephant’s Foot: it’s the melted reactor core in Chernobyl. The amount of radiation from it was fatal within a minute and even a short exposure would leave you sick and dizzy for weeks afterward. At the time the picture was taken it would be “safer” to approach but still fatal within 500 seconds. –ONI_Section_3

The graininess of the photo is in fact not age, but trace amounts of radiation affecting its quality.