How IAU is Naming Minor Planets and Comets

It's the International Astronomical Union (IAU)'s Committee on Small Body Nomenclature which has the authority for the naming of the small bodies in the solar system. The naming proper is administered by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) for minor planets -a NASA-funded center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass.- and by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) for comets

A minor planet which has been discovered and confirmed by two nights of observation is first given a provisional designation. It's based on the date of the discovery. When the minor planet is definitely determined to the point it may be reliably predicted for the future (this usually is achieved after two or more orbital periods), it further receives a permanent number and it becomes eligible for naming. It's the discoverer of the asteroid which is invited to suggest a name. This name must follow a certain number of guidelines as defined by the IAU. The name is eventually approved by the Committee on Small Body Nomenclature. The discoverer retains its right for 10 years after the object's numbering

The rules are about similar as far as comets are concerned. The new comet first receives a provisional designation. Such a designation is now similar to the one for minor planets. Comets with orbital periods of less than 200 years are categorized short-period comets. When the orbit of the comet becomes "very well determined" -that is usually after two passages at perihelion- the comet gets a permanent number as a periodic comet. Comets are generally named, on the other hand, for their discoverers. Two discoverers may be attributed a same comet. The discoverer is assumed to be the observer being the author of the discovering observation which permitted the CBAT to issue reasonable requests for confirming observations, or to issue an announcement Circular

->for more details about the provisional designations, procedures, and the guidelines, start at the IAU's Designations and Nomenclature of Celestial Objects page. The IAU home page is at http://www.iau.org/

Comets which are discovered through automated search sports name featuring "LINEAR", "NEAT", "LONEOS", or "SWAN" e.g. SWAN is a subsystem of the solar satellite SOHO, which is pointing at other parts of the skies than the Sun. SOHO main instruments, on the other hand, are spotting faint, sun-grazing, scorching-bound comets. Such comets are named SOHO. for these, see at Sebastian's Comet Hunt