All information that astronomers are able to gather about the universe comes in the form of light. In this class, we will study how astronomers extract information about the universe from the light that reaches Earth, with a particular focus on the size, structure, and evolution of stars. Students will be expected to become familiar with the nighttime sky, the fundamentals of of telescope design and operations, and how measurements of light can be used to measure the physical parameters of stars. By the end of the course, students will have a solid basis both for amateur and professional observing. This class will involve significant nighttime observing (including observing at Stickney Observatory) so students taking this class are expected to have flexible nighttime schedules.