10 questions to ask a child under the stars

Questions turn looking into thinking. None has a wrong answer out loud; each links to a page with the real one for afterwards.

How it's ordered: From what they can see to what they can wonder about.

Which is the brightest thing you can see?. Usually the Moon, then a planet.
Is that one twinkling?. Stars twinkle, planets mostly don't.
What shape is the Moon tonight?. And will it be bigger or smaller tomorrow?
How many fists up is it?. One fist is about ten degrees.
Which way is north?. The Big Dipper can tell you.
Can you count ten stars? A hundred?. Darker places show more. Try again on new Moon.
Are any of them moving?. A steady moving dot might be a satellite; a quick streak is a shooting star.
What colour is that star?. Some are reddish, some blue-white; Orion has one of each.
How far away do you think it is?. The Moon is about 384,400 km; stars are so far their light takes years.
If you lived on Mars, what would you look at?. There's a page for every world to find out.

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“Lists are fun, but the best thing in the sky is the one you find yourself.”