What is the official name of the asteroid 55 Pandora?

The official name of asteroid 55 Pandora is Pandora. It is a large main-belt asteroid discovered by George Mary Searle in 1858 and named after Pandora, the figure from Greek mythology.

The number 55 indicates that Pandora was the fifty-fifth minor planet to receive a permanent numbered designation in the historical sequence of asteroid discoveries. It orbits the Sun in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Like many asteroids, it is far smaller than a planet and is not the same object as Saturn’s moon Pandora.

Astronomical names can therefore create easy mix-ups. “Pandora” may refer to the mythological woman, a Saturnian satellite, or this asteroid, depending on the catalog and context. The asteroid’s name preserves the mythological reference, while its catalog number identifies the specific body. Its discovery predates the Space Age by more than a century.