REDLINE view of the Galactic plane as seen from the North Galactic Pole. The Sun is at the origin and the Galactic centre is at (x, y) = (8, 0). Dotted circles are plotted every 2 kpc around the solar position, and dashed lines are plotted every 30 degrees. The quantity plotted here is extinction per unit distance, and is proportional to dust density. There is a paucity of dust in the outer Galaxy, and most of the dust is seen to lie in the so-called molecular ring.