The distance that visible light can travel before being absorbed by something depends on various factors, including the properties of the medium through which it passes. In general, visible light can travel long distances through transparent substances like air or vacuum without significant absorption.
In Earth's atmosphere, the main constituents, such as nitrogen and oxygen, are relatively transparent to visible light, allowing it to travel great distances. However, certain atmospheric components like water vapor, dust, and pollutants can scatter or absorb light to some extent, reducing its effective range.
In space, where there is no atmosphere, visible light can travel vast distances without significant absorption. Light from distant stars and galaxies can travel billions of light-years to reach us, allowing us to observe objects in the universe.
It's worth noting that the specific wavelength of light also plays a role. Different materials have varying absorption properties across the electromagnetic spectrum. Some materials are more transparent to certain wavelengths of light than others, while they may absorb or scatter light at different wavelengths. This phenomenon is exploited in fields such as spectroscopy to analyze the composition of substances.
In summary, visible light can travel considerable distances through transparent media like air or vacuum and can travel vast distances in space without significant absorption. However, the presence of certain materials or atmospheric conditions can affect the distance that light can travel before being absorbed or scattered.