Pandora (moon)

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Pandora is an inner satellite of Saturn. It was discovered in 1980 from photos taken by the Voyager 1 probe and was provisionally designated Template:Nowrap.Template:Sfn In late 1985, it was officially named after Pandora from Greek mythology.Template:Sfn It is also designated as Template:Nowrap.Template:Sfn

Pandora was thought to be an outer shepherd satellite of the F Ring. However, recent studies indicate that it does not play such a role, and that only Prometheus, the inner shepherd, contributes to the confinement of the narrow ring.<ref name = "LakdawallaE2014">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Cuzzi2014">Template:Cite journal</ref> It is more heavily cratered than nearby Prometheus and has at least two large craters Template:Convert in diameter. The majority of craters on Pandora are shallow as a result of being filled with debris. Ridges and grooves are also present on the moon's surface.Template:Sfn

The orbit of Pandora appears to be chaotic as a consequence of a series of four 118:121 mean-motion resonances with Prometheus.Template:Sfn The most appreciable changes in their orbits occur approximately every 6.2 years,Template:Sfn when the periapsis of Pandora lines up with the apoapsis of Prometheus and the moons approach to within about Template:Convert. Pandora also has a 3:2 mean-motion resonance with Mimas.Template:Sfn

From its very low density and relatively high albedo, it seems likely that Pandora is a very porous icy body. However, there is much uncertainty in these values, so this remains to be confirmed.