Think of it as a reason to get your day started early.



A total lunar eclipse begins before dawn on Wednesday which will paint the moon a blood-red hue.



A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes directly through the shadow of the earth. The entire process can last hours and always happens at night.



In the Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake areas, the moon enters the first stage, also called the penumbral eclipse, at 3:17 a.m. However, spectators will not see much of a difference until 4:18 a.m. when the second phase, the partial eclipse, begins.



As the minutes tick by, the moon will begin to darken and turn red, but don't panic, the moon takes on this color from the all of the simultaneous sunrises and sunsets around the world.



The real magic happens between 5:27 and 6:22 a.m. when the moon is totally eclipsed.



The Oct. 8 eclipse is a rarity: as the moon begins setting, the sun will be simultaneously rising on the opposite horizon. This type of eclipse even has a special name: selenelion.



To be considered a selenelion, the sun and the moon must rise and set at the same time and be 180 degrees apart from each other.



By 7:26 a.m. the event is over. The moon will be below the horizon, twilight will take over the sky as the sun rises higher and higher and you will have a great story to tell about waking up at 3 a.m. to see the 2014 selenelion eclipse.



Future eclipse dates for the Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake areas:



Partial solar eclipse on Oct. 8, 2014



Partial lunar eclipse on April 4, 2015



Total lunar eclipse on Sept 27, 2015.