55 Pandora is the asteroid discovered in 1858 and named after the Greek mythological woman.
The asteroid was discovered by the German astronomer George Mary Searle on September 10, 1858, at the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York. It received the name Pandora, connecting its astronomical identity with the figure from Greek mythology whose opening of a container released troubles into the world.
The number 55 is its permanent minor-planet designation, assigned according to the order in which it received a numbered orbit. It is located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Like many asteroids, it is far smaller than a planet and is visible only with astronomical equipment.
55 Pandora should not be confused with Pandora, one of Saturn’s moons. The asteroid and moon share a mythological name, but they are separate objects with different discovery histories and orbital locations.