doi.eso.org

• Kervella, Pierre [Unidad Mixta Internacional Franco-Chilena de Astronomía (CNRS UMI 3386), Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; LESIA (UMR 8109), Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, UPMC, Université Paris-Diderot, France]
• Montargès, Miguel [Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique, Saint-Martin d’Hères, France]
• Richards, Anita M. S. [Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, United Kingdom]
• Homan, Ward [Institute of Astronomy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium]
• Decin, Leen [Institute of Astronomy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium]
• Lagadec, Eric [Laboratoire Lagrange (UMR 7293), Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Nice, France]
• Ridgway, Stephen T. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, USA]
• Perrin, Guy [LESIA (UMR 8109), Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, UPMC, Université Paris-Diderot, France]
• McDonald, Ian [Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, United Kingdom]
• Ohnaka, Keiichi [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile]

The impact of the dramatic terminal phases of the lives of Sun-like stars on their orbiting planets is currently uncertain. Observations with NAOS CONICA and SPHERE/ZIMPOL in 2014–2015 have revealed that the nearby red giant star L₂ Puppis is surrounded by an almost edge-on disc of dust and gas. We have observed several remarkable features in L₂ Pup: plumes, spirals, and a secondary source (L₂ Pup B) which is embedded in the disc at a projected separation of 2 au. ALMA observations have allowed us to measure a mass of 0.659 ± 0.043 M⊙ for the central star. This indicates that L₂ Pup is a close analogue of the future Sun at an age of 10 Gyr. We also estimate the mass of L₂ Pup B to be 12 ± 16 MJup, implying that it is likely a planet or a brown dwarf. L₂ Pup therefore offers us a remarkable preview of the distant future of our Solar System.