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.

In reality, even as the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 was moving away, ground-based telescopes were able to gather enough observations to get a better handle on its orbit. So we can safely take a deep breath and return to the more pressing existential problems posed by threats on this planet rather than off-world.