The asteroid named after the Greek mythological Pandora has the official designation 55 Pandora. It is a main-belt asteroid discovered by German astronomer Hermann Goldschmidt in 1858.
The number 55 records Pandora’s place in the sequence of asteroid discoveries. Goldschmidt discovered the object from Paris, and it was later given the name Pandora, linking it with the figure from Greek mythology. Its designation is written as the number followed by the name: 55 Pandora.
55 Pandora is an S-type asteroid, meaning its surface is broadly stony and silicate-rich. It travels around the Sun in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Its orbital period is roughly four years, although its exact position changes continuously as it follows its orbit.
This object is distinct from Pandora, the moon of Saturn, and from the mythological character herself. Astronomical names can be reused across different object classes, so the number is essential for identifying the asteroid unambiguously.