Just in time for worldwide Asteroid Day: a threatening space rock lingered at the top of risk lists around the globe for months, with 1 chance in 3000 of impacting Earth on 2 April 2052. Now, ESA’s PDO team working with experts at the European Southern Observatory have officially removed asteroid 2021 QM1 from their asteroid risk list. This was a result of skilled observations and analysis of the faintest asteroid ever observed with one of the most sensitive telescopes in the world.

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Orbit of asteroid 2021 QM1 and relative position at Asteroid Day 2022. Credit: ESA / PDO