• A special planetary alignment is occurring in January and February.
• Four planets are visible to the naked eye, with two more faintly showing.
• Here's how, where, and when to see the planets line up — including a bonus appearance from Mercury.

The planets are lining up, forming a rare and special parade across the night sky in January and February.

Four planets — Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars — are bright enough to see with the naked eye this month. Uranus and Neptune are visible with a telescope.

They'll be "strewn across" the sky and look like extra bright stars, the astrophotographer Dan Bartlett told Business Insider.

"Mars is brighter than any of the stars right now," he added. "Jupiter is bright. Venus is spectacular."

In late February, as Saturn and Neptune descend into the glare of the sun, Mercury will rise above the nighttime horizon. So you can see every planet in our solar system over the next month.

Here's what you need to know to spot each planet.

What is the planetary alignment?

Though they appear in an arc across the sky, the planets aren't actually arranged in a straight line in space.

In fact, according to the stargazing website EarthSky, a perfect straight-line alignment of all the planets will probably never happen.

Rather, since the planets all orbit along or near the plane of our solar system, called the ecliptic, they appear in a line across the sky. It's the same reason the sun always follows the same path across the sky. That's nothing special.

However, it's uncommon for so many planets to be on the same side of the sun, visible in the night sky, at once.

Where and when to see the planet parade

Since all the planets will be following the same general path across the sky, they're easier to spot than a random comet or supernova. You can see them all in the first few hours after sunset.

Find a safe and comfortable spot with a clear, wide view of the sky, far from city lights. The top of a hill might be a good option. If you have binoculars or a telescope, bring them with you. You'll catch a lot more detail that way.

Even from the city with a pair of binoculars, Jupiter is "fantastic," Bartlett said, adding that you can often see its four biggest moons appearing as "little stars around it."

How to find the planets after sunset

Start by looking to the west. Venus is the brightest "star" in the sky, with Saturn just below it. Draw a line between the two planets, then follow that line upwards to find Jupiter high overhead.

Keep following the line, and you'll see Mars glowing red to the east. It's extra bright in January because it's directly opposite the sun from our position. As a result, we're mostly seeing Mars' day side, with the sun reflecting brightly off its surface.

For guidance to spot each planet, consult an app like SkySafari ($4.99 in the Apple App Store) or Stellarium (free).

Bartlett recommends finding out when the International Space Station will pass overhead at your location. If it coincides with planet-viewing hours, you can go at that time and grab a view of the planets while you're out. The ISS is "as bright as Venus, sometimes many times brighter," he said.

Check spotthestation.nasa.gov to find sighting opportunities near you.

A telescope will show much more

With a telescope and some practice, you can spot two more planets: Neptune glowing blue just above and south of Venus, then Uranus just to the west of Jupiter.

A telescope also reveals more detail on the other planets. Bartlett said he can often see canals on Mars, clouds circling Jupiter, and the faint sheen of Saturn's rings.

Mercury's appearance

Mercury can be tough to spot because it's closest to the sun. On February 28, though, it will start to peek above the horizon just after sunset, then rise to meet Venus in early March.

By then, Saturn will have sunk out of view into the sunset, with Neptune following a few days later.

Watch the planetary parade online

For an at-home peek at the planetary parade, the Virtual Telescope Project plans to broadcast a live feed from its telescopes in Tuscany.

The livestream, below, is set for Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Even so, if you're out after sunset in the next month, take a moment to look up. The four naked-eye planets should be clear to anybody — even in the city if you have binoculars. "You'll see these bright stars, and most of them are planets," Bartlett said.