Galactic astronomy is the study of theMilky Way galaxy and all its contents. This is in contrast toextragalactic astronomy, which is the study of everything outside our galaxy, including all other galaxies.
Galactic astronomy should not be confused withgalaxy formation and evolution, which is the general study ofgalaxies, their formation, structure, components, dynamics, interactions, and the range of forms they take.
The Milky Way galaxy, where theSolar System is located, is in many ways the best-studied galaxy, although important parts of it are obscured from view in visiblewavelengths by regions ofcosmic dust. The development ofradio astronomy,infrared astronomy andsubmillimetre astronomy in the 20th century allowed the gas and dust of the Milky Way to be mapped for the first time.
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