Which asteroid is named 55 Pandora after the mythological Pandora?

The asteroid named after the mythological Pandora is 55 Pandora.

55 Pandora is a main-belt asteroid discovered by George Mary Searle on September 10, 1858, at the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York. It was the 55th numbered minor planet to receive an official designation, which explains the number in its name.

The asteroid’s name refers to Pandora from Greek mythology, the figure associated with the vessel that released troubles into the world. Astronomical names often draw from mythology, although the celestial body itself has no physical connection with the ancient story.

55 Pandora is not the same object as Pandora, a small moon of Saturn. The asteroid belongs to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, while Saturn’s Pandora orbits a giant planet much farther from the Sun.