 Galactic Astronomy, 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 galaxies, their formation, structure, components, dynamics, interactions, and the range of forms they take. The Milky Way galaxy, where the solar system belongs, is in many ways the best studied galaxy, although important parts of it are obscured from few invisible ways lengths by regions of cosmic dust. The development of radio astronomy, infrared astronomy and sub-millimeter astronomy in the 20th century allowed the gas and dust of the Milky Way to be mapped for the first time.