The asteroid named Medusa has the astronomical catalog number 149.
149 Medusa is a minor planet in the asteroid belt, the region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered by Henri Joseph Perrotin at Toulouse Observatory in 1875 and later received the name Medusa, after the Gorgon of Greek mythology.
The number is part of the asteroid’s permanent designation. Numbering generally reflects the order in which minor planets were discovered and had their orbits confirmed, so it does not indicate Medusa’s size, brightness, or mythological importance.
Asteroid names often draw on mythology, literature, history, and other cultural traditions. This object is therefore a scientific body named after Medusa, not a physical fragment of the mythical Gorgon or a feature on another planet. Its designation is written as 149 Medusa.