  We detected a ring-like distribution of far-infrared emission in the
direction of the center of the Virgo cluster. We studied this feature in the
FIR, radio, and optical domains, and deduced that the dust within the feature
reddens the galaxies in the direction of the Virgo cluster but does not affect
stars within the Milky Way. This is likely to be a dusty feature in the
foreground of the Virgo cluster, presumably in the galactic halo. The HI
distribution follows the morphology of the FIR emission and shows peculiar
kinematicbehavior. We propose that a highly supersonic past collision between
an HI cloud and the Galactic HI formed a shock that heated the interface gas to
soft X-ray temperatures. HI remnants from the projectile and from the shocked
Galactic HI rain down onto the disk as intermediate velocity gas.
  Our finding emphasizes that extragalactic astronomy must consider the
possibility ofextinction by dust at high Galactic latitude and far from the
Galactic plane, which may show structure on one-degree and smaller scales. This
is particularly important for studies of the Virgo cluster, for example in the
determination of the Hubble constant from Cepheids in cluster galaxies.
