Common sense is part of the reason. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. In verses 15 and 16, the earth and its people still exist. This is literally impossible.
Stars are huge.
If just one star collided with the earth, the earth would be obliterated but the star hardly affected. Thus, the student must look for a figurative explanation. In a metaphor something is said to be something else. To recognize a metaphor, one must use common sense. The simile, on the other hand, plainly declares itself to be a figure of speech.