[1] Administratively it belongs to the NE Greenland National Park area.

The area around the mouth of this fjord was referred to as "Bessel Bay" at the time of the 1869–70 Second German North Polar Expedition led by Carl Koldewey.

It was named after German astronomer and director of the Königsberg university observatory Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (1784–1846).

[2] This fjord marked the northern border of Erik the Red's Land in 1932–1933.

[3] Bessel Fjord stretches north of Norlund Land from west to east for about 53 km.