Top: APOGEE-2/DR17 M5-6III (−6.5 < M_H < −5.5, 1.0 < (J − K)₀ < 1.5) star counts, in the range of Galactic coordinates |ℓ| < 40^◦, |b| < 5^◦. These counts are highly in incomplete (and white areas are unobserved regions) due to the observing strategy of APOGEE-2, but for each line of sight the completeness is constant, with a magnitude within 7.0 < H < 12.2 when A_H < 2.7. Bottom: distribution of distances of these stars for −6^◦ < ℓ < 30^◦, 1.0^◦ < |b| < 2.5^◦; dashed line shows the best fit to a long bar with an angle of α = 25.6^◦ for ℓ > 10^◦.