[4] It is approximately 35 kilometres across and 23 km wide and orbits within the Encke Gap in Saturn's A Ring.

[5] Pan was discovered by Mark R. Showalter in 1990 from analysis of old Voyager 2 probe photos and received the provisional designation S/1981 S 13 because the discovery images dated back to 1981.

The search was undertaken by considering all Voyager 2 images and using a computer calculation to predict whether the moon would be visible under sufficiently favorable conditions in each one.

[13] Cassini scientists have described Pan as "walnut-shaped"[14] owing to the equatorial ridge, similar to that on Atlas, that is visible in images.

It has been referred to by journalists as a space empanada, a form of stuffed bread or pastry, as well as a ravioli.