Galactic astronomy is the study of galaxies, their formation, structure, components, dynamics, interactions, and the range of forms they take.
Our own Milky Way galaxy, where our solar system belongs, is in some ways the best studied, although important parts of it are obscured from view in visible wavelengths by regions of galactic dust . Modern instruments, and particularly the Hubble Space Telescope, have allowed us to study galaxies other than our own in great detail.