  We are entering a golden era for stellar physics driven by satellite and
telescope observations of unprecedented quality and scope. New insights on
stellar evolution and stellar interiors physics are being made possible by
asteroseismology, the study of stars by the observation of natural, resonant
oscillations. Asteroseismology is proving to be particularly significant for
the study of solar-type and red-giant stars. These stars show rich spectra of
solar-like oscillations, which are excited and intrinsically damped by
turbulence in the outermost layers of the convective envelopes. In this review
we discuss the current state of the field, with a particular emphasis on recent
advances provided by the Kepler and CoRoT space missions and the wider
significance to astronomy of the results from asteroseismology, such as stellar
populations studies and exoplanet studies.
