"This is, incidentally, why we sometimes observe planets appearing to approach closely to each other on the sky, as we view them along a line while they careen around the cosmic r

"A parade of planets, also sometimes referred to as a planetary alignment, is when several planets in our solar system appear to line up in the sky from our perspective here on Earth," John Conafay, CEO of Integrate Space, tells TODAY.com.

Six planets will be in alignment this weekend, with four of them shining bright in one sweeping view. What to know about the planet parade.

A rare parade of planets will light up the night sky throughout January. Six planets will be in alignment for the rest of the month – four of which will be visible with the naked eye, Preston Dyches, public engagement specialist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and host of NASA's "What's Up" skywatching series, told ABC News.