The axial recoil approximation holds that when a diatomic molecular ion is formed in a dissociative state, the atoms produced in the dissociation process will move outward along the straight line defined by the internuclear axis of the molecule. Analysis of experiments measuring the angular distribution of Auger electrons emitted byN2followingK-shell ionization ofN2molecules shows that the axial recoil approximation is not strictly true. Significant corrections must be made for the rotation of the molecule during the time of dissociation. Smaller corrections must be made for the thermal distribution of the translational velocities of the target molecules, and for instrumental effects. In the analysis of theN2data, the corrections have the effect of smoothing the predicted angular distribution functions. The amount of the smoothing depends primarily on the temperature of the target gas and the shape of the potential-energy curve for theN22+final state involved in the Auger transition. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.