The asteroid named after Pandora in Greek mythology is designated 55 Pandora.
55 Pandora is a large asteroid in the main belt, the region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most known asteroids are found. The object was discovered by the American astronomer George Mary Searle at the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York, in 1858. It received the name Pandora after the figure from Greek mythology.
The number 55 records its position in the sequence of asteroid discoveries recognized at the time. Pandora is classified as an S-type asteroid, a broad category associated with rocky, silicate-rich bodies. Its orbit takes it around the Sun within the main asteroid belt rather than near Earth.
This object is distinct from Saturn’s moon Pandora, which was discovered much later and also received a mythological name. The asteroid’s formal designation is therefore the number-and-name combination “55 Pandora,” not simply Pandora alone.