New images that have been captured by the Rosetta comet-chaser reveal that its target, the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko may be a "contact binary". Contact binary is a class of objects with two distinct and different segments.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has been able to provide an animated GIF of the comet to show off the two distinct parts of the rock.

Whatever the object resembles, ESA research team says that such objects are not unusual. Just how they end up in these shapes is not exactly known.

One hypothesis suggests that the comet is a cosmic mash-up that came about when two smaller rocks collided. Another idea that the ESA is floating is that the comet is a pile of rubble that has been pulled into its odd shape by gravity.

The pictures released by the ESA were taken by its Rosetta probe which is nearing the final stage of its long mission of a decade to drop a lander on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Because the pictures were shot when Rosetta was 12,000 kilometres from the comet which is about the distance between New York and Johannesburg, the unusual shape could also result from a digital processing method that was used to smoothen the image.

Rosetta is scheduled to come within 100 kilometres of the comet on August 6. It will observe the comet for several months before it attempts to drop a lander onto its icy surface in November.
67P is about four kilometre long and orbits the Sun once in every six-and-a-half years.

"Some people have already likened the shape to a duck, with a distinct body and head", the European Space Agency said. Mission scientist Matt Taylor had a different comparison "a strange-looking potato".

"It's certainly an exciting surprise", said Taylor. Until now 67P was believed to have a more compact and rounded form.