The official designation of the asteroid commonly called Pandora is 55 Pandora.
The number 55 identifies Pandora’s position in the historical sequence of numbered minor planets. It was discovered in 1858 and later received the name Pandora, drawn from Greek mythology. Astronomers use both the number and the name because numbering provides a precise way to identify a minor planet.
55 Pandora belongs to the main asteroid belt, the large population of small bodies orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. Its orbit and physical properties are studied separately from Saturn’s moon Pandora, which is a much smaller satellite in a completely different part of the Solar System.
The number is important because names can be reused or applied to different astronomical objects. Saying “55 Pandora” removes ambiguity and distinguishes the asteroid from the moon, mythological figure, films, and other works titled Pandora’s Box.