Saturn’s moon Pandora, discovered in 1980, is best known for shepherding the F ring.
Pandora is a small irregular satellite of Saturn that travels just outside the planet’s narrow F ring. Its gravitational influence helps shape and confine the ring, making Pandora one of the satellites known as a shepherd moon.
Voyager 1 images led to Pandora’s discovery in October 1980. The moon was later observed in greater detail by the Cassini spacecraft, which studied Saturn’s rings and satellites during its mission from 2004 to 2017.
Pandora is often confused with Saturn’s moon Prometheus because the two moons work together around the F ring. Prometheus orbits inside the ring, while Pandora orbits outside it. Their combined gravitational effects help maintain the ring’s narrow, braided appearance.