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¿Qué es aquello en el cielo?

¿Qué es aquello en el cielo?
What is that over there in the sky?
From Lesson 69:Neuter demonstratives (esto, eso, aquello)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about ¿Qué es aquello en el cielo?

Why is it aquello and not aquel or aquella?
Aquello is the neutral (or neuter) form of "that over there". You use neutral words like esto, eso, and aquello when you are pointing at an unknown object and asking what it is. Because you do not know what the thing in the sky is, you do not know its gender yet, so you cannot use the masculine aquel or feminine aquella.
What is the difference between using eso and aquello in this sentence?
Both can act as neutral pronouns meaning "that", but they indicate different distances. Eso is usually for something a bit closer, often near the person you are talking to. Aquello is used for something far away from both the speaker and the listener. Since the object is way up in the sky, aquello is the perfect fit!
Could I ask ¿Cuál es aquello? instead of ¿Qué es aquello?
No, you must use qué here. When you want to identify a completely unknown object or ask for a definition, you always use qué. You use cuál when you are asking someone to choose from a known group of options.
Does cielo mean "sky" or "heaven"?
It can mean both! In everyday conversation, like when you are outside looking up at an airplane or the stars, el cielo simply means "the sky". You will easily know which one it means based on the context.

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