Saturn’s moon Pandora was initially assigned the provisional designation S/1980 S 26.
The designation records the discovery year, the planet, and the sequence used for newly identified satellites. “S” indicates Saturn, “1980” is the discovery year, and “26” identifies its place in that year’s Saturn-moon discovery numbering.
Pandora was discovered in 1980 by Voyager 1 images and later received its mythological name. It is a small, irregular satellite whose orbit lies near Saturn’s F ring, where its gravitational influence helps shape the ring’s structure.
Provisional designations are temporary labels used before an object receives an official name. They are easy to confuse with permanent satellite numbers or with designations for neighboring moons, so the exact formatting matters. The designation S/1980 S 26 identifies Pandora specifically.