We use published data from several spacecraft and new data from the sounder on ISEE-1 to construct a model of the normalized magnetotail magnetosheath plasma density distribution. The model assumes symmetry of revolution of the magnetosheath around the tail axis. It is valid in the range of aberrated GSE X' from 0 to -200 RE with a rms fractional deviation from the data of 30%, equal to the relative uncertainty of the data themselves. As in gasdynamic models, the magnetosheath density gradient, perpendicular to the tail axis, increases when the distance to the bow shock decreases. For 0>X'>-12 RE, the density at the magnetopause is found to decrease with ‖ X' ‖ less rapidly than predicted by gasdynamic models. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1992