Astronomers have retracted the discovery of a new asteroid after realizing the object was the remains of Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster and its driver "Starman," which were launched into space in 2018.

On 27 December last year, astronomers using the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile discovered a small asteroid moving away from Earth. Follow up observations have revealed that the asteroid, 2024 YR4, is on a path that might lead to a collision with our planet on 22 December 2032.

First spotted last month by a telescope in Chile, the near-Earth asteroid — designated 2024 YR4 — is estimated to be 130 to 330 feet (40 to 100 meters) across.

NASA is tracking a truck-sized asteroid which is set to hurtle by Earth today at many times the velocity of a speeding bullet. The space rock—dubbed "2025 BV5"—is estimated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to be some 26 feet across.

Researchers say there’s a 1.3 percent chance that the space rock 2024 YR4 could strike our planet — but not until December 2032.

"Impact probability is still very low, and the most likely outcome will be a close approaching rock that misses us."

NASA scientists have discovered organic content in the samples recovered from the asteroid Bennu, which points back to the start of our solar system.

A 200-foot-wide asteroid found in December has a one-in-83 chance of hitting Earth, according to space agencies.

YR4 might force NASA to plan the first-ever space mission to push an asteroid away from Earth. Most likely, though, it's a non-threat.

Late last December, astronomers discovered a near-Earth asteroid about 130 to 330 feet wide. New analysis has found that 2024 YR4 has a 1.2% probability, or 1-in-83 chance, of hitting Earth on December 22,

The newly-discovered space rock is estimated to be between 130ft and 330ft (40m to 100m) across and has been placed at the top of the European Space Agency's asteroid risk list