What is the official designation of Pandora, the shepherd moon of Saturn?

Pandora, the shepherd moon of Saturn, has the official Roman-numeral designation Saturn XVII.

Planetary satellites receive numerical designations as well as names. Saturn XVII means that Pandora was the seventeenth satellite of Saturn to receive a designation in the historical numbering system. Such numbers reflect discovery and recognition history, not the moon’s distance from Saturn or its size.

Pandora was discovered in Voyager 1 images in 1980 and later received its mythological name. It is a small, irregular moon orbiting near Saturn’s F ring. Its gravitational relationship with Prometheus helps maintain and disturb the ring’s narrow structure.

Numbering can be confusing because satellite lists change as new moons are discovered, confirmed, or assigned names. The designation Saturn XVII remains Pandora’s standard Roman-numeral identifier in astronomical references. It should not be confused with 55 Pandora, an asteroid that belongs to the main asteroid belt.