Based on the South Galactic Cap U-band Sky Survey (SCUSS) and SDSS observations, we adopted the star-count method to analyze the stellar distribution in different directions of the Galaxy. We find that the scale height of the disk may be variable with the observed direction, which cannot simply be attributed to statistical errors. The main reason can be possibly attributed to the disk (mainly the thick disk) being flared, with a scale height increasing with radius. The axis ratio of the Galactic halo is in the range 0.4-0.6. This finding supports Galactic models with a flattened inner halo, partly formed through a merger early in the Galaxy's history.
