February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2023—specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 percent on Feb.

New observations of a small asteroid discovered in December have led astronomers to conclude that the chances of it striking Earth are almost zero after earlier data had indicated a higher risk of a collision with this space rock about 130-300 feet (40-90 meters) wide.

NASA has significantly lowered the risk of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth. Last week, the asteroid had a 3.1% probability of hitting Earth, which set a record level for large space rocks.