Using far-infrared 240 \hbox { $ \mu$m } and near-infrared K band data from the COBE/DIRBE instrument , we model the Galactic stellar and dust distribution .
Making the assumption that the Galaxy is transparent in the 240 \hbox { $ \mu$m } band , the dust emission is modeled using the following components : a warped exponential disk of scale length 0.26 R _ { \odot } , a spiral arm component as mapped by HII regions , and a feature coinciding with the local ( Orion ) arm .
The dust distribution is used to calculate absorption in the K band , and the stellar emission is likewise modeled with a warped exponential disk , with a scale length of 0.29 R _ { \odot } , and a spiral arm component .
Models of the K band emission in the Galactic plane indicate that in this waveband a two arm spiral dominates the nonaxisymmetric emission .
The warp is evident in both the dust and stellar component , and is found to start within the Solar Circle .