James F. Bell III facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Bell
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Jim Bell in 2009
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| Born | July 23, 1965 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Planetary geology Geochemistry Mineralogy |
| Institutions | Arizona State University Cornell University |
James F. Bell III was born on July 23, 1965. He is a professor of Astronomy at Arizona State University. He studies planets, their rocks, and minerals. He uses information from telescopes and spacecraft.
Dr. Bell has worked on many NASA missions. These include Mars Pathfinder and the Mars Science Laboratory. He also helped with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. His book Postcards from Mars shows many pictures from the Mars rovers. Dr. Bell helps lead The Planetary Society. He was also the main scientist for the Pancam camera. This camera was on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
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Becoming a Space Scientist
Jim Bell studied at the California Institute of Technology. In 1987, he earned his first degree there. He studied Planetary Science and Aeronautics.
Later, he went to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He earned two more degrees there. In 1989, he got a master's degree in Geology and Geophysics. In 1992, he earned his Ph.D. in Planetary Geosciences.
Jim Bell's Work in Space Exploration
Jim Bell is a very active planetary scientist. He has been part of many NASA robotic space exploration missions. He has written many scientific papers. He has also written and edited several books about Mars and the Moon.
He enjoys teaching people about space exploration. He often writes for popular science magazines. He has also appeared on TV shows. Dr. Bell gives free talks to the public. He is a professor at Arizona State University. He also teaches at Cornell University.
In 2014, Dr. Bell was chosen for an important job. He became the lead scientist for the Mastcam-Z camera system. This camera is on the Mars 2020 rover mission.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Jim Bell has received many awards during his career. In 2011, he won the Carl Sagan Medal. This award is for great public communication in planetary sciences. It comes from the American Astronomical Society.
He also received NASA Group Achievement Awards. These were for his work on the Mars Exploration Rovers. He also got one for the Phoenix Mission Support Team. In 2007, he was named a Kavli Fellow. This is a special honor from the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 1996, an asteroid was named after him. It is called 8146 Jimbell. This was done by the International Astronomical Union.
Books by Jim Bell
Jim Bell has written or helped write several books. These books share amazing facts and pictures about space.
- Postcards from Mars: The First Photographer on the Red Planet (2006)
- Mars 3-D: A Rover's-Eye View of the Red Planet (2008)
- Moon 3-D: The Lunar Surface Comes to Life (2009)
- The Space Book: 250 Milestones in the History of Space and Astronomy (2013)
- The Interstellar Age: Inside the Forty-Year Voyager Mission (2015)
