In astronomy, what is Pandora, the small moon discovered by Voyager 1 at Saturn?

In astronomy, Pandora is a shepherd moon of Saturn.

Pandora is a small, irregular satellite that orbits near Saturn’s F ring. Its gravity helps influence and confine material in the ring system, which is why it is described as a shepherd moon. Prometheus, another small Saturnian moon, is associated with the F ring as well, and the two satellites are often discussed together.

Voyager 1 images revealed Pandora in 1980. The moon was later named for Pandora, the figure from Greek mythology whose opened container released troubles into the world. Astronomical naming often draws on mythology, and Saturn’s satellites largely carry names connected with figures associated with the Roman god Saturn and related mythic traditions.

Pandora is not a large, spherical world like Saturn’s major moons Titan or Rhea. Its irregular shape and close relationship with the rings make it scientifically interesting. It should also be distinguished from asteroid 55 Pandora, which is a separate object orbiting the Sun in the main asteroid belt.