Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn can be spotted without special equipment, with Uranus and Neptune requiring a telescope.

Skygazers and astronomy enthusiasts can look forward to catching a rare "planet parade" in the night sky through January. According to NASA scientist Preston Dyches, the planets "will appear more or less along a line across" during a planetary alignment.

The best time to witness the celestial event will be just after sunset starting Jan. 10. A meteor shower will also be visible through Jan. 3.