In astronomy, what type of object is Pandora, the moon of Saturn discovered in 1980?

Pandora is a shepherd moon of Saturn. It helps shape and confine Saturn’s narrow F ring through its gravitational influence, working with the nearby moon Prometheus.

Voyager 1 images led to Pandora’s discovery in 1980. The moon was initially identified in photographs taken during the spacecraft’s encounter with Saturn and was later recognized as an irregular satellite orbiting near the F ring. Its name follows the mythological Pandora and complements the name Prometheus.

A shepherd moon is a small satellite whose gravity influences the edges or structure of a planetary ring. Pandora and Prometheus are especially notable because their interactions with the F ring produce complex, changing features such as kinks and channels.

Pandora should not be confused with Saturn’s larger moon Titan or with the asteroid 55 Pandora. The astronomical name is used for several objects, but Saturn’s Pandora is specifically a small outer shepherd satellite associated with the F ring.