In astronomy, what is 55 Pandora?

In astronomy, 55 Pandora is an asteroid in the main asteroid belt.

The object was discovered by German astronomer George Rümker at the Hamburg Observatory in 1858. It received the name Pandora after the figure from Greek mythology, continuing the long tradition of assigning mythological names to Solar System bodies.

55 Pandora is classified as an S-type asteroid, a broad category associated with silicate-rich rocky composition. It travels around the Sun in the region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, where most known asteroids are found.

This object should not be confused with Pandora, one of Saturn’s moons. The moon was discovered much later and is a small shepherd satellite associated with Saturn’s narrow F ring. The number 55 identifies the asteroid’s position in the sequence of asteroid discoveries, not a measurement of its size.