taken out the Earth and flameout

[Bushwhacker]

In the following sentence:

The sun may have imploded and taken out the Earth as collateral damage to its own flameout.

What's the meaning of "taken out the Earth" and "flameout" here?

Thank You.

[Anglika]

"destroyed the Earth"

"flameout" probably is meant to suggest that the Sun emitted vast flames when imploding, though I would have though it would be more likely to have a flameout by exploding.