Pandora is the Saturn moon that acts as a shepherd satellite near the planet’s F ring.
Pandora is a small, irregular moon of Saturn discovered in 1980 by Voyager 1 images. It orbits just outside Saturn’s narrow F ring and works with the moon Prometheus, which orbits just inside the ring. Their combined gravitational effects help confine and shape the ring’s particles, giving them the “shepherd satellite” description.
The moon’s name comes from Pandora in Greek mythology. Prometheus, the inner shepherd, is also named for a mythological figure associated with fire and humanity. Their paired names are therefore both astronomical labels and references to the same wider mythic tradition.
Pandora should not be confused with Epimetheus or Janus, two nearby Saturnian moons known for their unusual co-orbital relationship. Nor should it be confused with the much larger asteroid 55 Pandora. The moon’s defining location is its position outside Saturn’s F ring.