False alarm on asteroid collision with Earth

Scientists have downgraded the risk of a massive asteroid colliding with the Earth in 2014. Astronomers said it was a false alarm on Wednesday, based on new calculations of the asteroid's possible trajectory.

The new calculations say the trajectory of the giant asteroid probably will not take it as close to Earth as was feared.

British scientists emphasized they would be able to calculate the risk of an impact more precisely after gathering more data on the estimated 2.6-billion-tonne asteroid.

Researchers spotted the asteroid, called 2003 QQ47 on Aug. 24. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab initially estimated it had a one in 909,000 of hitting the Earth in March 2014.

• FROM SEPT. 2, 2003: Scientists monitor risk of huge asteroid hitting Earth

Scientists at Britain's Near-Earth Object Information Centre had calculated if the asteroid hit, it would release tremendous amounts of energy, causing country-wide damage and global effects on climate.