What happens during a total lunar eclipse?

During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon passes completely into the Earth’s shadow, which blocks direct sunlight from reaching it. This alignment results in the Moon being fully covered by the darker part of the Earth’s shadow known as the umbra. As a consequence, the Moon can take on a reddish hue during the eclipse due to Rayleigh scattering of sunlight through the Earth’s atmosphere, a phenomenon often referred to as a "blood moon."

This event is distinct from other eclipse scenarios; for example, if the Moon were fully illuminated, it would indicate a full moon rather than an eclipse. Similarly, being partially covered by shadow would only occur during a partial lunar eclipse, while becoming brighter than usual does not align with the nature of a lunar eclipse since it involves the Moon being obscured from sunlight. Thus, the situation where the Moon is completely covered by Earth’s shadow accurately describes a total lunar eclipse.