In early 1963, Explorer 14 (apogee about 16 earth radii) made magnetic field measurements at the earthward end of the geomagnetic tail. On several occasions the field was observed to reverse direction in times of the order of a minute, corresponding to passages through the so‐called neutral sheet. Two of these passages, on February 10 during a moderately severe storm, are analyzed in detail. The orientation of the sheet is discussed, and it is shown how field lines may be computed from the measurements. It is found that on both occasions the field lines were connected through the sheet, with normal components of several gammas. No evidence is found of the two standing shock waves proposed by Axford, Petschek, and Siscoe. Immediately after one encounter with the sheet, the field had a southward component of up to 30 γ for over a minute. At about the same time, ground stations recorded the onset of a magnetic bay. It is suggested that this observation by the satellite was made on the far side of a region in which field line reconnection was taking pla