In James Cameron’s Avatar universe, Pandora orbits the parent gas giant Polyphemus. Pandora is therefore a moon rather than a planet, despite being the main world shown in the film.
Pandora is located in the Alpha Centauri system and is inhabited by the Na’vi, the tall blue humanoid species central to Avatar. Its forests, floating mountains, unusual wildlife, and atmosphere form the setting for the 2009 film and its sequel-era story world.
Polyphemus is named after the Cyclops in Greek mythology, while Pandora is named after the mythological woman associated with the container of evils. The two names connect Cameron’s fictional astronomy with classical mythology.
A common mix-up is calling Pandora a planet because the films focus on its surface. In astronomical terms within the fictional setting, it is a natural satellite of Polyphemus, much as Earth’s Moon is a satellite of Earth.