James F. Bell III (born July 23, 1965) is a professor of

Astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

, specializing in the study of planetary geology, geochemistry and mineralogy using data obtained from telescopes and from various spacecraft missions. Bell's active research has involved the

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

Mars Pathfinder ''Mars Pathfinder'' (''MESUR Pathfinder'') is an American robotic spacecraft that landed a base station with a roving probe on Mars in 1997. It consisted of a lander, renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, and a lightweight, wheeled robot ...

, Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR), Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR),

2001 Mars Odyssey ''2001 Mars Odyssey'' is a robotic spacecraft orbiting the planet Mars. The project was developed by NASA, and contracted out to Lockheed Martin, with an expected cost for the entire mission of US$297 million. Its mission is to use spectr ...

, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a NASA robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon in an eccentric polar mapping orbit. Data collected by LRO have been described as essential for planning NASA's future human and robotic missions t ...

, and the Mars Science Laboratory missions. His book ''Postcards from Mars'' includes many images taken by the

Mars rovers A Mars rover is a motor vehicle designed to travel on the surface of Mars. Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers: they examine more territory, they can be directed to interesting features, they can place themselves in sunny pos ...

. Bell is currently an editor of the space science journal ''Icarus'' and president of The Planetary Society. He has served as the lead scientist in charge of the Panoramic camera ( Pancam)

color imaging system Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

on Mars rovers

Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

and Opportunity.

Education

Bell earned his B.S. degree in

Planetary Science Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their f ...

and

Aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical Society identifies ...

from the California Institute of Technology in 1987. He earned his M.S. degree in

Geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

and

Geophysics Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term ''geophysics'' som ...

in 1989 and his Ph.D. in Planetary Geosciences in 1992 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Career

Bell is an active planetary scientist and has been involved in many NASA

robotic space exploration Unmanned spacecraft or uncrewed spacecraft are spacecraft without people on board, used for robotic spaceflight. Uncrewed spacecraft may have varying levels of autonomy from human input; they may be remote controlled, remote guided or even ...

missions. As a professional scientist, he has published over 30 first-authored and 140 co-authored scientific research papers and over 400 short abstracts and conference presentations. Bell has also written and edited several books about

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...

and the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

. He is active in educating the public about

space exploration Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. While the exploration of space is carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration though is conducted both by robotic spacec ...

. He is a frequent contributor to popular astronomy and science magazines, has made a number of television appearances on major network and cable channels, and gives free public lectures. He is currently a professor at the Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration and an adjunct professor at the Cornell University Astronomy Department's Center for Radiophysics and Space Research. In July 2014, Bell was selected to be the principal investigator overseeing the

Mastcam-Z Mastcam-Z is a multispectral, stereoscopic imaging instrument. It serves as the primary science camera on NASA's ''Perseverance'' rover. The Principal Investigator is Jim Bell of Arizona State University. The instrument was designed and built ...

imaging system for the upcoming

Mars 2020 Mars 2020 is a Mars rover mission forming part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program that includes the rover ''Perseverance'', the small robotic, coaxial helicopter '' Ingenuity'', and associated delivery vehicles. Mars 2020 was launched from Ear ...

rover mission.

Awards and honors

Bell has received a number of awards and honors during his career. Most recently, he was awarded the 2011

Carl Sagan Medal The Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science is an award established by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society to recognize and honor outstanding communication by an active plane ...

from the

American Astronomical Society The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the adv ...

Division for Planetary Sciences, for excellence in public communication in planetary sciences. Bell has also received NASA Group Achievement Awards for his part in the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) 3rd and 4th extended missions and the

Phoenix Mission ''Phoenix'' was an uncrewed space probe that landed on the surface of Mars on May 25, 2008, and operated until November 2, 2008. ''Phoenix'' was operational on Mars for sols ( days). Its instruments were used to assess the local habitabilit ...

Support Team. In 2007 he was named a

United States National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

Kavli Fellow, and in 1996 he was awarded the asteroid name 8146 Jimbell by the

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...

(IAU) in his honor.

Selected works

*''Asteroid Rendezvous: NEAR Shoemaker's Adventures at Eros'', (co-editor, 2002) *''Postcards from Mars: The First Photographer on the Red Planet'', (2006) *''Mars 3-D: A Rover's-Eye View of the Red Planet'', (2008) *''The Martian Surface: Composition, Mineralogy and Physical Properties'', (editor, 2008) *''Moon 3-D: The Lunar Surface Comes to Life'', (2009) *''The Space Book: 250 Milestones in the History of Space and Astronomy'', (2013)

References

External links

ASU School of Earth and Space ExplorationJim Bell's Personal Web PageJim Bell's Profile in ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration DirectoryJim Bell's Penguin Speaker's Bureau page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, James F., Iii 1965 births Living people American astronomers Planetary scientists Arizona State University faculty Cornell University faculty University of Hawaiʻi alumni California Institute of Technology alumni Presidents of The Planetary Society