The sudden disappearance of stars is a scenario that has already been used several times in science fiction and usually heralds impending disaster. In reality, such a thing is considered impossible according to current models of stellar evolution. Small stars burn out slowly and quietly, while larger stars first become red giants and finally end up as white dwarfs. If they are even larger, they disappear in a spectacular stellar explosion, although in the case of extremely massive specimens a black hole can be left behind.
