After announcing Monday that an asteroid had been found to have a small chance of colliding with Earth, researchers used additional data to determine on Tuesday that the space rock is no threat. The scientific backtracking mirrored the downgrading of asteroid threats in four other recent cases.

The asteroid, named 2000 BF 19, had been calculated as having a one-in-a-million chance of coming our way in the year 2022.

"The orbit of 2000 BF 19 is incompatible with an impact in 2022," said Andrea Milani, an Italian researcher who led the group that found 2000 BF 19.

One set of new observations came from Australian asteroid hunter Rob McNaught, who observed the asteroid on the night of the first announcement.

The other data had already been collected, however, on February 1 and 2, Milani said, but they were not available when his group made their calculations. "And I would like to know why," Milani said in an informational release distributed to colleagues.

The asteroid is the fifth discovered over the past two years and announced as having a potential to hit Earth. In each case, the initial calculations have been refined to show a zero probability of collision.

Suggesting there is a flaw in the way in which potentially threatening asteroids are reported to the public, Milani said, "It is now time to look at this 'event' with calm, and to try and figure out how it was handled, what we have learned from this case and how to do better next time."