The Herschel support center at the ASDC

Herschel is an ESA mission planned as a Space Observatory it hosts the largest telescope ever launched into space with a 3.5-metres monolithic primary mirror. The mission has been designed to operate in a wide spectral domain that goes from the far infrared up to the sub millimeter and the three scientific instruments on the focal plane (PACS, SPIRE and HIFI) can execute spectroscopy and photometry in the 55-670 mu m range. Herschel is optimised to observe the coldest regions in the Universe and it is expected to reveal new information about the earliest, most distant stars and galaxies. It will also take a unique look at our own solar system. Half of the Herschel observing time is still allocated to Key Programmes, while the remaining "Open Time" is available for the worldwide scientific community and will be allocated using a standard proposal procedure, through Announcement of Opportunities. The ASI Science Data Center (ASDC) provides a wide-range support to the Italian astronomical community interested in the mission opportunities. ASDC provides assistance for the preparation and submission of proposals, for the data processing and for the installation and usage of specific tools dedicated to the scientific analysis. Specific tutorials on the mission characteristics (satellite, instruments) and on the data reduction/analysis methods guarantee an adequate knowledge transfer of the instrumental and data analysis expertise from ASDC personnel to the interested astronomers.