Saturn’s moon Pandora was first identified in Voyager 1 images in 1980.
Voyager 1 reached the Saturn system in November 1980 after launching in 1977. During its close investigation, the spacecraft returned images that revealed Pandora as a small satellite near Saturn’s F ring. Its discovery added another member to the complex population of moons and ring shepherds around the planet.
Pandora’s orbit makes it scientifically notable: it travels just outside the F ring and helps confine the ring’s material, alongside Prometheus on the inner side. The moon is irregular in shape and relatively small compared with Saturn’s major satellites.
The year can be confused with Voyager 1’s launch date or with later Voyager discoveries at Uranus and Neptune. Voyager 1 launched in 1977, discovered or confirmed important Saturnian features during its 1980 encounter, and then continued outward. The mythological name was assigned after the object’s identification.