The minor-planet number of asteroid Pandora, discovered in 1858, is 55.
55 Pandora is a large main-belt asteroid discovered by Jérôme E. Coggia at the Marseille Observatory on 10 September 1858. It was named after Pandora, the figure from Greek mythology whose opened container released troubles into the world. The number 55 indicates its position in the sequence of numbered minor planets, not its discovery year or size rank.
Pandora is classified as an S-type asteroid, meaning its surface is broadly stony and silicate-rich. It orbits the Sun in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Like other asteroids, its physical properties are determined through observations of brightness, color, orbit, and sometimes stellar occultations.
This object should not be confused with Pandora, Saturn’s moon, or with the fictional locations and titles that use the same name. Astronomical numbering provides the precise way to distinguish the asteroid from those other Pandoras.