The main-belt asteroid discovered in 1858 is designated 55 Pandora. It was discovered by the American astronomer George Mary Searle at the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York.
The number 55 indicates Pandora’s place in the sequence of numbered minor planets, while Pandora is its official mythological name. It is a stony S-type asteroid located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroid 55 Pandora should not be confused with Saturn’s moon Pandora or with the fictional and mythological uses of the name. Astronomers distinguish the bodies by their designations and orbital contexts. The asteroid’s name comes from the Greek mythological figure associated with the jar that released evils into the world.