In astronomy, the asteroid named after Pandora is numbered 55 Pandora.
55 Pandora is a large asteroid in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. English astronomer George Mary Searle discovered it on September 10, 1858, from the Albany Observatory in New York. It was named for Pandora, the figure from Greek mythology.
The designation “55 Pandora” combines the asteroid’s sequential number with its name. The number indicates that Pandora was the 55th asteroid to receive a permanent numbered designation, not that it was the 55th object ever observed.
Asteroid names often draw on mythology, literature, and historical figures. This object is unrelated to Saturn’s moon Pandora, although both celestial bodies take their names from the same mythological character. Its orbit and physical properties are studied as part of main-belt asteroid research.