Space

Look Up For January's 'Parade Of Planets'

At a Glance

A parade of planets is visible in the night sky.
Winter weather can make for a better view of the night sky.
Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather.

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Stargazers are in for a treat the next few weeks as a parade of planets marches across the night sky.

The January planetary alignment includes Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus all visible to the naked eye at the same time. Neptune and Uranus will be there, too, but they won't be shining brightly like the others.

What To Know:

Planets, including Earth, orbit around the sun in a line called the ecliptic. But what we see in the night sky changes as we move through space. "These multi-planet viewing opportunities aren’t super rare, but they don’t happen every year, so it’s worth checking it out," according to NASA's January night sky notes.

The best viewing for January's planetary parade is about 90 minutes after sunset, in as dark and clear a spot as you can find. Use binoculars or a telescope for an even better look.

The alignment will be visible into February.

An illustration of January's parade of planets.

Pamela Gay, senior scientist with the Planetary Science Institute, tells us:

"This combination of getting everything within the sky at the same time is the real challenge (for night sky watchers). Most of the time you have to go outside and wait for something to rise. Right now, they're all there at the same time."
"While they're closest in late January, this alignment is going take time to fall apart. And this means that if you go out night after night, you're going to see where Venus and Saturn are next to each other, slowly changing as they drift apart. And, and as you watch, you can actually see these slight changes in all the planet's positions."
"We're all just worlds attached to a ring going round and around the sun. And because all those rings are lined up in, in the same plane on the sky, we get to see things chase each other around and sometimes fill the sky all at once."

Why winter is a great time for stargazing:

The night sky changes with the seasons. In winter, cold air holds less moisture, which can make for clearer viewing.

"When the sky is still, the jet stream isn't there, when the temperatures as you go from ground level to higher and higher, don't vary too much ... All of these things align to make quiet skies that make it easier to see," Gay said. "So, while there is a certain degree of suffering that occurs to those of us that go out and stand next to our telescopes in the cold winter, the images really make it worth it."

Just make sure to dress appropriately for the weather, and never let cold, metal equipment come in contact with your bare skin.

Stay tuned:

We'll see another planetary alignment in February.

An illustration of February's planetary alignment.

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Weather.com staff writer Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.