system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How come we can see a source of light extremely far away when the source only illuminates the area much closer to it?

For example, I'm sitting on my front porch which overlooks the town. Miles away I can see streetlights, signs, etc. How does the source project light to my location, yet doesn't illuminate my location?

Holy moly friends, thanks for the awards and stuff. I didn't think this question would spark so much interest, lol. I am thoroughly grateful for all your replies.
gpt
Absorption and scattering. 

Unless your location is a perfect white, some of the light hitting it will be absorbed, reducing its intensity. 

Then, unless your location is a perfect mirror perfectly angled to redirect the light to your eye, the light is scattered in every direction, further reducing its intensity. 

The light *is* still illuminating your location, and if you could somehow turn off all the other lights illuminating your location, turn around to look away from the last distant street light, wait a while for your eyes to adjust, and then start flipping that streetlight on and off you should be able to see a difference (depending on just how far away the streetlight is). 

But in the real world, turning off all other sources of light isn't really possible, most of the time.