James F. Bell, III

Assoc. Professor of Astronomy
Director of Graduate Studies
Ph.D. 1992 (University of Hawaii)

Campus Address:
402 Space Sciences Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

Phone: 607-255-5911

Homepage: http://marswatch.astro.cornell.edu/resume.html

Specialty Areas: Planetary Sciences

Research Projects: MER: Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, Mars Surface Properties Derived from THEMIS VIS Analysis., Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Marci/CTX Science Investigator Team., A Global Search for Alteration Minerals on Mars., Mineralogy and Weathering History of the Martian Surface., Mars at Closest Approach, Mars Exploration Rover Pancam Investigation, Mars Science Laboratory 2009 Rover Mastcam, Microscope, and Descent Imager Team

Biography: Jim Bell is an Associate Professor in the Cornell University Astronomy Department's Center for Radiophysics and Space Research. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii in 1992, performing research on Mars surface mineralogy and climate variations using infrared and optical telescopes at Mauna Kea Observatory. He was a National Research Council postdoctoral research fellow at NASA's Ames Research Center prior to coming to Cornell. His studies primarily focus on the geology, geochemistry, and mineralogy of planets, asteroids, and comets using data obtained from telescopes and spacecraft missions. He is a member of the Science Teams of the NASA Mars Pathfinder, Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR), Mars Odyssey Orbiter, ans Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions, and is the leader of the Pancam color camera team on the Mars Exploration Rover (Athena) missions. He has published many of his research results in major astronomy journals, is a frequent contributor to popular astronomy magazines and radio shows, and has recently edited a book about the NEAR mission.

Fields of Expertise:
Surface Composition and Geology of Terrestrial Planets and Asteroids
Telescopic Observations and Instrumentation (Visible through Mid-IR)
Reflectance & Emittance Spectroscopy (Telescopic, Laboratory, Spacecraft)
Image Processing and Data Reduction/Calibration/Analysis (Telescopic, Spacecraft).

Selected Publications: Full list and C.V. available here.
- J.F. Bell III (editor), "The Martian Surface: Composition, Mineralogy, and Physical Properties," Cambridge University Press, 2007.
-J .F. Bell III et al., Chromaticity of the Martian sky as observed by the Mars Exploration Rover Pancam instruments, J. Geophys. Res., 111, E12S05, 2006.
- J.F. Bell III et al., In-flight calibration and performance of the Mars Exploration Rover Panoramic Camera (Pancam) Instruments, J. Geophys. Res., 111, E02S03, 2006.
- J.F. Bell III et al., Solar eclipses of Phobos and Deimos observed from the surface of Mars, Nature, 436, 55-57, 2005.
- J.F. Bell III and 43 others, Pancam multispectral imaging results from the Spirit rover at Gusev crater, Science, 305, 800-806, 2004.
- .F. Bell III and 43 others, Pancam multispectral imaging results from the Opportunity rover at Meridiani Planum, Science, 306, 1703-1709, 2004.
- J.F. Bell III and 24 others, The Mars Exploration Rover Athena Panoramic Camera (Pancam) Investigation, J. Geophys. Res., 108 (E12), doi:10.1029/2003JE002070, 2003.