An operating lamp has a lamp body with a lamp surface directed towards a light projection surface. The lamp body has a central axis and the light projection plane extends at a preferred working distance from the lamp surface and at right angles to the central axis. The operating lamp has N light modules arranged on the lamp surface on a first circle with a centroid that coincides with the central axis. The light modules are aligned to each emit a light bundle with a respective principal axis towards the light projection plane—the principal axes forming, with the light projection plane N intersections, an ellipse with a centroid coinciding with the central axis. One of the light modules rotates about a rotation axis that passes through the light module, intersects the central axis has a light bundle principal axis that does not intersect the central axis.