Pandora is an inner satellite of Saturn. It was discovered in 1980 from photos taken by the Voyager 1 probe and was provisionally designated S/1980 S 26. In late 1985, it was officially named after Pandora from Greek mythology. It is also designated as Saturn XVII.
View of Pandora's western hemisphere.
View of the moon, taken during Cassini's September 2005 flyby.
Pandora as seen from the Cassini probe in 2005; the rings of Saturn are in the background.
In astronomy, an inner moon or inner natural satellite is a natural satellite following a prograde, low-inclination orbit inwards of the large satellites of the parent planet. They are generally thought to have been formed in situ at the same time as the coalescence of the original planet. Neptune's moons are an exception, as they are likely reaggregates of the pieces of the original bodies, which were disrupted after the capture of the large moon Triton. Inner satellites are distinguished from other regular satellites by their proximity to the parent planet, their short orbital periods, their low mass, small size, and irregular shapes.
Jupiter's inner moons and rings
Diagram of Neptune's inner satellites.