In astronomy, which asteroid is also named Pandora?

In astronomy, the asteroid named Pandora is 55 Pandora.

55 Pandora is a large main-belt asteroid discovered by the American astronomer George Mary Searle in 1858. Its number indicates that it was the 55th minor planet to receive a permanent numbered designation. The name refers to Pandora from Greek mythology, continuing the astronomical tradition of assigning mythological names to many asteroids.

The asteroid is classified as an S-type body, meaning its surface is broadly associated with stony, silicate-rich material. It orbits the Sun in the main asteroid belt, the region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most known asteroids are found.

55 Pandora is separate from Pandora, a moon of Saturn. The moon was discovered much later, in 1980, and has a different designation and physical setting. The shared name can therefore cause confusion: one Pandora is an asteroid orbiting the Sun, while the other is a small satellite orbiting Saturn.