In the first month of 2025, residents in the UAE can expect two spectacular celestial events - the Quadrantid meteor shower and a planet parade.

The first meteor shower of the year, Quadrantids – which is also the only major one until August 2025 – will light up the night sky with bright streaks of light, making it a must-see for stargazers.

Alongside the meteor shower, a parade will also take place this year. While it won't have drums or marching individuals, it will involve cosmic bodies - a planetary parade.

From our perspective on Earth, multiple planets will appear close to each other in the night sky, said Khadijah Al Hariri.

"This alignment does not mean the planets are physically near each other in space, but they line up along the ecliptic plane from our perspective," she added.

While the parade will occur between January 10 and late February, observers in the UAE can enjoy best visibility for this phenomenon from January 21 to early February.

Sky-watchers can see 4 planets with the naked eye, and the remaining 2 with high-powered telescopes.

The best time to catch the parade is shortly after sunset, around 6.30pm, for planets near the horizon like Venus and Saturn, and after 8.30pm for Mars and Jupiter which stay visible until late at night.

Clear skies and an unobstructed horizon in a dark location will be an ideal viewing area, Khadijah said. While the planets will look very bright dots with the naked eye, if you can get hold of some telescopes, you can observe details such as Saturn's rings, and Jupiter's lines and moons.