Name searches in the HSA only work by cross-referencing with either the SIMBAD database of (mainly) stellar objects or the NED database of extragalactic objects that both, logically, exclude Solar System Objects. These must be identified using their NAIF ID, selecting the “NAIF ID” tab, as there is no name-searcher available to the HSA for Solar System Objects.

For comets and asteroids, the NAIF ID is a unique, 7-digit identifier. The NAIF ID for comets has the format 100****, while for numbered asteroids, it is 2******, with the digits following the leading “2” being the asteroid number. A few objects observed by Herschel were un-numbered asteroids with lower-quality orbits, which have the format 3******. You may also input a text file with a list of NAIF IDs to check.

The HSA uses wild-cards automatically. If you enter 100 and press Search, you will obtain a listing of all comet observations.

For planets and their satellites, the NAIF ID is 3-digits starting with the planet number in order of distance from the Sun (Mars = 4, Jupiter = 5, etc). The planet itself is 499, 599, 699, … while the satellites are the planet number followed by the satellite number so, Titan, or Saturn VI, is 606, while Callisto, Jupiter IV, is 504.

To return the NAIF ID for any named Solar System Object, enter the following line in a browser:

https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/x/smb_spk.cgi?OPTION=Look+up&OBJECT=ceres

Just replace the name "ceres" with the solar system object that you wish to identify (name - if named [e.g. Haumea], number [e.g. 2000], or provisional designation [e.g. 1950 DA]).

The Herschel Science Centre has produced a useful short videotutorial, How to use the Herschel Science Archive User Interface, to show new users how to access and use the Herschel Science Archive and about the data products that are available within it. You can find this short videotutorial here:

http://youtu.be/IgGNpUgubkw