Asteroid 55 Pandora was named Pandora and discovered in 1858 by George Mary Searle.
Searle discovered the object on September 10, 1858, at the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York. It became the 55th numbered minor planet and received the mythological name Pandora. In astronomical naming, the number identifies its place in the historical sequence of asteroid discoveries, while the name distinguishes it from other small bodies.
55 Pandora is classified as an S-type asteroid, meaning its composition is broadly associated with stony material. It travels in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Like most asteroids, it is far smaller than a planet and has no known connection to Saturn’s moon Pandora beyond the shared mythological name.
Numbering, discovery, and naming are separate milestones. An object may receive a provisional designation when first observed, then a permanent number after its orbit is sufficiently established. That system prevents confusion among similarly named astronomical bodies.