Graham E. Bell is an American amateur

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

and prolific

discoverer of minor planets This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and distant objects). , the discovery of 612,011 num ...

. Along with amateur astronomer Gary Hug, he operates the U.S. Farpoint Observatory in

Eskridge, Kansas Eskridge is a city in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, Wabaunsee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 439. History Eskridge was laid out in 1868. The town experienced growth ...

. He is credited by the

Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Funct ...

with the discovery of 56 numbered minor planets between 1998 and 2000. He also co-discovered 178P/Hug-Bell, a periodic

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...

List of discovered minor planets

References

The American Association of Amateur Astronomers - Graham Bell
20th-century American astronomers Discoverers of asteroids Discoverers of comets * Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-astronomer-stub