The official number of the asteroid named 55 Pandora is 55. It is a large main-belt asteroid whose name refers to Pandora from Greek mythology.
55 Pandora was discovered by the American astronomer George Mary Searle on September 10, 1858, at the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York. It became the 55th asteroid to receive a permanent number after its orbit had been sufficiently established.
The asteroid belongs to the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It should not be confused with Saturn’s moon Pandora, which is a separate object discovered much later and is associated with the planet’s rings.
Numbering and naming are distinct steps in minor-planet history. A provisional designation is used after discovery, while a permanent number is assigned once the orbit is secure. The name Pandora connects this asteroid to mythology, but the asteroid itself is an astronomical body, not a mythological object.