Pandora (moon) facts for kids

Pandora is a small moon that orbits the giant planet Saturn. It is named after Pandora from ancient Greek stories. This moon is special because it helps keep one of Saturn's rings, called the F ring, in shape. Pandora is like a "shepherd" for this ring, making sure its particles stay together. Its partner in this job is another moon named Prometheus.

Photo taken by Cassini-Huygens.

About Pandora

Pandora is one of Saturn's many moons. It is not very big, measuring about 84 kilometers (52 miles) across. The moon has a very bumpy surface, covered with many impact craters. These craters are like big bowls made when space rocks crashed into Pandora.

What is a Shepherd Moon?

A shepherd moon is a small moon that orbits near a planet's rings. These moons use their gravity to keep the ring particles in place. They act like "shepherds" guiding a flock, preventing the ring from spreading out or breaking apart. Pandora is the outer shepherd moon for Saturn's F ring, while Prometheus is the inner one. Together, they help keep the F ring narrow and well-defined.

Discovery of Pandora

Pandora was discovered in 1980 by Stewart A. Collins. He found it in pictures taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. This was an exciting discovery because it helped scientists understand more about Saturn's complex ring system.

Images for kids

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  Pandora as seen from the Cassini probe in 2005; the rings of Saturn are in the background.

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  Cassini captured this close view of Saturn's moon Pandora during the spacecraft's flyby on June 3, 2010.

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  Voyager 2 image of Pandora (August 1981).