Total lunar eclipse at totality, 16th May 2022. 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. Photographed from Mina de Sao Domingos, Portugal.