Final answer:
The moon doesn't turn black during a total lunar eclipse because the Earth's atmosphere scatters and filters the sunlight, allowing mainly red wavelengths to reach the moon.
Step-by-step explanation:
The moon does not turn black during a total lunar eclipse because of the Earth's atmosphere. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth passes between the moon and the sun, blocking the sunlight from directly reaching the moon's surface. However, some of the sunlight gets refracted through the Earth's atmosphere and reaches the moon, causing it to appear red or coppery in color.
The Earth's atmosphere scatters and filters the sunlight, allowing mainly the longer red wavelengths to reach the moon. This phenomenon is similar to the way the sky appears red or orange during sunrise or sunset.
To summarize, the moon appears red during a total lunar eclipse due to the scattering and filtering of sunlight by the Earth's atmosphere, which allows only the longer red wavelengths to reach the moon.
Learn more about lunar eclipse