Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn should be visible to the naked eye, but get a telescope and you can spot Neptune and Uranus.

Baker said that there are other astronomical events that may be more interesting than the parade of planets. Baker said Mars and Jupiter would be best to see through a telescope right now. Mars is the closest it will be to Earth in the last two years, meaning the red planet will appear larger in the night sky.

The new moon of January will be at 7:36 a.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 29, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, and two days later a young moon will pass near Saturn and near Venus as they cluster together in the evening sky.

Planetary Parade A rare alignment of Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus, and Neptune is visible this month and into early February. Peak viewing occurs on January 29, coinciding with the new moon for darker skies.

Four planets will be in the parade in January while seven will align in February. Here's how to see the events.

Six planets, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn can be seen in the night sky. You'll need binoculars or a telescope to see Neptune and Uranus but they're out there too.

Venus and Saturn will be in conjunction this weekend, appearing side by side in the night sky during January's post-sunset "planet parade."

Both Venus and Saturn will be in the Aquarius constellation, the water bearer, during their close approach. To help spot it, viewers should look towards the south in the evening sky, using the bright star Fomalhaut in the nearby Piscis Austrinus constellation as a guide to locate Aquarius.

Plus: Saturn’s moon Iapetus is visible, our Moon passes the bright star Spica, and Mars skims south of Pollux in Gemini in the sky this week.

I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere).

The alignment of six planets - Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - will be visible through to mid-February, with peak visibility around January 29, coinciding with the new moon.

Musk’s long-term vision includes a thriving, self-sustaining Mars that would serve as a stepping stone for humanity’s expansion throughout the solar system. He envisions humans reaching the moons of Jupiter and Saturn,