The minor planet named after the Greek Gorgon Medusa is numbered 149.
149 Medusa is a main-belt asteroid, meaning it orbits the Sun mainly between the paths of Mars and Jupiter. French astronomer Auguste Charlois discovered it at the Nice Observatory in 1875, and it was later given the name Medusa from Greek mythology.
The asteroid’s name refers to the mortal Gorgon whose gaze was said to turn onlookers to stone. This astronomical designation should not be confused with Algol, the star traditionally associated with Medusa’s eye, or with the constellation Perseus, which represents the hero who killed her. Minor-planet names often preserve figures from mythology, history, literature, and science, making them a useful link between classical stories and modern astronomy.