Pandora is the Saturnian moon named after the figure associated with Pandora’s box. It was discovered in 1980 by the Voyager 1 imaging team and received its official name in 1985.
Pandora is a small, irregular satellite that orbits just outside Saturn’s F ring. Its gravity helps confine and shape the ring, so astronomers classify it as a shepherd satellite. The neighboring moon Prometheus performs a related shepherding role on the inner edge of the F ring.
The moon’s mythological name fits a naming tradition used for many satellites of Saturn. Several are named for figures from Greek and Roman mythology, while others draw from related literary or mythic traditions. Pandora’s association with Prometheus makes the name especially appropriate for the pair.
Astronomers initially reported uncertainty about Pandora’s exact shape and surface properties because it is small and distant. Later spacecraft observations, especially from the Cassini mission, improved knowledge of its orbit, dimensions, and interaction with Saturn’s rings.