What is the mythological name of asteroid 55 Pandora?

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The mythological name of asteroid 55 Pandora is Pandora.

55 Pandora is a large asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered in 1858 and named after Pandora, the figure from Greek mythology associated with the famous jar and the release of troubles into the world.

The asteroid is not the same object as Pandora, a moon of Saturn. Astronomers use numbered designations to distinguish minor planets, so “55 Pandora” identifies this specific asteroid. Pandora also appears in the names of other astronomical objects, making the number especially useful.

Its name reflects a long astronomical tradition of drawing from classical mythology. Asteroids discovered in the nineteenth century were frequently assigned names from Greek and Roman stories, although naming practices have broadened considerably in modern astronomy.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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