Composite image showing the progression of the total lunar eclipse of 21st January 2019, photographed at the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve, Portugal. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon. At totality, the light from the Moon (sunlight reflected from the Moon after passing through the Earth's atmosphere) turns orange due to shorter wavelengths, such as blue light, being scattered more in Earth's atmosphere than longer wavelengths, such as red light. On this date the Moon was at its closest point to our planet Earth, and is referred to as a Super Moon .