What is the name of Saturn’s small moon that shares its name with the Greek myth’s Pandora?

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Saturn’s small moon that shares its name with the Greek myth’s Pandora is Pandora.

Pandora is an inner moon of Saturn and acts as an outer shepherd satellite of the planet’s narrow F ring. Its gravitational influence helps confine and shape the ring, working in conjunction with the moon Prometheus on the ring’s inner side. The astronomical names therefore draw on related figures from Greek mythology.

Voyager 1 images led to Pandora’s discovery in 1980, and the moon was initially designated S/1980 S 26. It received the name Pandora in 1985. The satellite is irregularly shaped and heavily cratered, like many small outer-planet moons.

This moon should not be confused with asteroid 55 Pandora or the fictional moon Pandora in the film Avatar. All three use the mythological name, but Saturn’s Pandora is specifically a natural satellite associated with the planet’s F ring.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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