Editing Galactic astronomy (section)

{{Short description|Study of the Milky Way galaxy and its contents}}
[[File: Artist's impression of the Milky Way (updated - annotated).jpg|thumb|300px|An artist's conception of the [[Milky Way]]]]

'''Galactic astronomy''' is the study of the [[Milky Way]] galaxy and all its contents. This is in contrast to [[extragalactic astronomy]], which is the study of everything outside our galaxy, including all other galaxies.

Galactic astronomy should not be confused with [[galaxy formation and evolution]], which is the general study of [[galaxy|galaxies]], their formation, structure, components, dynamics, interactions, and the range of forms they take.

The Milky Way galaxy, where the [[Solar System]] is located, is in many ways the best-studied galaxy, although important parts of it are obscured from view in visible [[wavelength]]s by regions of [[cosmic dust]]. The development of [[radio astronomy]], [[infrared astronomy]] and [[submillimetre astronomy]] in the 20th century allowed the gas and dust of the Milky Way to be mapped for the first time.