Mars will be making its closest approach to Earth in two years, and thus, the mighty red planet, named for the god of war himself, will appear brighter, bigger, and bolder in the night sky. This Martian exclamation point will further amplify the experience of the alignment.

A handful of planets in the solar system are expected to line up in the night sky for a few days in January 2025. Here's when to look up at the stars.

Skywatchers: A six-planet alignment peaks this week as Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn come together for view shortly after sunset in the sky.

Alignments of five or more planets are rare—there will be two more featuring five or more planets this year, but after that the next won’t happen until 2040.

January 21, 2025, the night sky offers a rare spectacle: six planets—Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn—aligning in a phenomenon known as a "planetary parade." To witness this celestial event,

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will align in a straight line in the sky. While most of these planets will be visible to the naked eye, some will require binoculars for observation.