Some have asked if there are any nearby stars that might go supernova and destroy the earth. Supernovae are produced form red-giant stars or from white dwarf stars that have collected enough material.
Betelgeuse is the closest red-giant star. It is in the constellation of Orion. But it is about 300 light years from earth and would not cause any damage if it went supernova. However, there is some controversy about the star Sirius, which is the brightest star in the heavens and is only 8.8 light years away. It is in the constellation of Canis Mojoris, and it is also called the Dog star. It played a role in the mythology of ancient Egypt because it first becomes a morning star about the time that the Nile river floods each year.
Sirius has a neighboring white dwarf star that orbits every 50 years. In ancient text of 2000 years ago, Sirius was described as having a red color. But even as much as 1000 years ago, it was described as having a white color as it does today. No one yet has a satisfactory answer to this mystery.
But even more interesting is the fact that there may be white dwarf stars nearby that have become cold and dark that may have gathered enough material to be on the edge of going supernova. I don't believe there is a method of detecting such stars today.
Does the Bible predict a supernova?