During a lunar eclipse, why does the Moon sometimes appear red instead of simply darkening?

During a lunar eclipse the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow, but Earth’s atmosphere bends sunlight toward the Moon. The atmosphere scatters short‑wavelength blue light, so only the longer red wavelengths reach the Moon. As a result the Moon takes on a reddish hue instead of fading to black. For example, when the Moon is halfway through the eclipse it looks like a glowing ruby, while later it can appear a darker orange or even a deep maroon. This color change happens because the light that does reach the Moon has been filtered and redirected by Earth’s atmosphere.