"Version: 20171201"--Title page verso.Includes bibliographical references.1. Stars : setting the stage -- 1.1. The sun : our star -- 1.2. The chemical composition of the sun and stars -- 1.3. The structure of stars -- 1.4. Stellar evolution in a nutshell -- 1.5. Summary2. Observations of stellar parameters -- 2.1. The distance of stars -- 2.2. The mass of stars -- 2.3. The luminosity of stars -…