Venus and Saturn will be in conjunction this weekend, appearing side by side in the night sky during January's post-sunset "planet parade."

Both Venus and Saturn will be in the Aquarius constellation, the water bearer, during their close approach. To help spot it, viewers should look towards the south in the evening sky, using the bright star Fomalhaut in the nearby Piscis Austrinus constellation as a guide to locate Aquarius.

Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars will appear to line up and be bright enough to see with the naked eye in the first few hours after dark. This weekend, Venus and Saturn get especially cozy.

“Saturday evening, January 18: Venus and Saturn will appear nearest to each other. As evening twilight ends at 6:15 p.m. EST, Venus will be 30 degrees above the southwestern horizon with Saturn 2.2 degrees to the lower left. Saturn will set first on the western horizon almost 3 hours later at 9:04 p.m.”

I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere).

Plus: Saturn’s moon Iapetus is visible, our Moon passes the bright star Spica, and Mars skims south of Pollux in Gemini in the sky this week.

Earth ejecta, for instance, could hold Earth life.

Venus and Earth, although they've taken two dramatically different climatic roads, are considered sibling planets. They're about the same size. They're made out of the same rocky stuff. They both dwell in the inner part of the solar system. So what happened?

As the sun enters Aquarius on Jan. 19, it takes you to new heights, challenging you to embrace what's different and unusual

Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification. This is done to store and access information on a device and to provide personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. List of Partners (vendors)

This month, six planets align in a rare celestial event, with Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars visible to the naked eye, according to NASA’s Preston Dyches. Venus and Saturn will appear closest on January 19-20, while Jupiter shines brightly in the south, and Mars glows reddish in the east.

Read on for horoscopes for your zodiac sign. Typical Aries dates: March 21 to April 19.