This document provides an introduction to astronomy and the universe. It explains that astronomy is the study of everything beyond the Earth's atmosphere. The universe encompasses all stars, planets, galaxies and more. Our solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy. Galaxies cluster together in groups, with our local group including the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. Galaxies are categorized by their shapes, such as spiral, barred spiral, elliptical and irregular.