On May 27, 1996 two all-sky cameras in Antarctica observed the aurora during the passage of a magnetic cloud. Compression of the magnetosphere by the solar wind dynamic pressure pulse in front of the magnetic cloud caused a short, strong, and localized blue auroral emission which moved towards noon in the late morning sector. The emission was caused by electrons of 8 keV energy. The high dynamic pressure caused a diffuse large-scale (at least 3 h MLT and 5¿ latitude) blue emission on closed field lines. The high energy electron precipitation disappeared after the enhanced solar wind dynamic pressure region had passed the sub-solar magnetopause. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union