Approximate equilibrium solutions for the two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium equations with flow along magnetic field lines applied to modeling the Earth's magnetic tail are constructed. An alternative version of the condition for whether a given magnetospheric configuration is open or closed is presented. Also developed are examples of open and closed magnetospheric configurations with flow occurring in a layer modeling the plasma sheet boundary layer. Examples of finite-size compressible plasmoids traveling in the magnetotail are presented. The relation between the profile of the total pressure (thermal plus magnetic) and the shape of the plasmoid is also discussed. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1992