Pandora’s provisional astronomical designation was S/1980 S 26.
Astronomers use provisional designations for newly observed moons before the bodies receive official names approved by the International Astronomical Union. In this designation, “S” identifies a satellite of Saturn, “1980” gives the year of the discovery observation, and the remaining number identifies the object in the sequence used at the time.
Pandora was found in Voyager 1 images during the spacecraft’s 1980 Saturn encounter. After its orbit and identity were established, it received the mythological name Pandora. Its official Roman-numeral designation is Saturn XVII.
Provisional designations can look similar, so Pandora is easily confused with nearby small moons discovered around the same time. The designation is a historical label, while “Pandora” is the name used in modern scientific and public references.