Planetary alignments aren’t rare, but 6 visible planets are. Here's how to see it.

Stargazers who have heard of an amazing planetary alignment coming later in January may be in for a letdown if they look up at the night sky expecting to be dazzled.

Yes, six planets will be visible in the January night sky. And yes, they'll be in a line.

But because planets always appear in a line from our Earth-bound vantage, the alignment isn't anything out of the norm. What's less common, according to astronomers, is seeing so many bright planets at once.

Here's what to know about this month's so-called planetary parade, including how and where to see it.

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Will the planets align in January?

The planets in our solar system orbit the sun essentially along a line across the sky in a plane called the ecliptic.

For that reason, planets in our Earthly sky always appear somewhere along a line, according to EarthSky, a website dedicated to cosmic news. These events, while commonplace, are often referred to as planetary alignments.

The ecliptic is also the reason that we on Earth sometimes observe planets appearing to approach closely to each other in the sky "while they careen around the cosmic racetrack," according to NASA.

While alignments themselves aren't special, what could be noteworthy for stargazers is the six planets that will be visible this month – including four with the naked eye. Such an event is commonly known as a "planet parade," though NASA noted that the moniker is not a technical astronomical term.

What is a planet parade, and what will be visible?

Planet parades are how astronomers and stargazers refer to the events when the planets form a straight line and look like they're marching across the night sky, such as a similar parade that took place in June.

In January, four bright planets and two faint planets will be visible in the night sky.

Here's a list of the planets that will be visible in some for this month:

? Venus

? Saturn

? Jupiter

? Mars

? Uranus

? Neptune

"These multiplanet viewing opportunities aren’t super rare, but they don’t happen every year, so it’s worth checking it out," NASA said in a rundown of January sky-watching tips.

How and when to see the planetary parade

Venus and Saturn already had their close approach, called a "conjunction," last week.

But all month after dark, spectators can find Venus and Saturn in the southwest for the first couple of hours, while Jupiter shines brightly high overhead and Mars rises in the east. All four planets will be visible to the naked eye.

Uranus and Neptune will also be around, but they won't be appearing as brightly and will require a telescope to see, according to NASA.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will the planets align in January? What to know about 'planet parade'