When we observe objects in space that are millions of light years away, we are indeed seeing them as they were millions of years ago. The light emitted or reflected by those objects takes millions of years to reach us. So, in a sense, we are observing the past when we look at such distant objects.
However, it's important to note that the light itself travels at an incredibly fast speed of about 299,792 kilometers per second (or approximately 186,282 miles per second). This means that light can cover vast distances in relatively short periods of time, even though the objects emitting the light may be extremely far away.
When we use telescopes to observe these distant objects, we are essentially collecting the light that has traveled to us over those millions of years. Telescopes gather and focus this light, allowing us to see these remote objects with greater clarity.
While it may take millions of years for the light to travel from those objects to us, the time it takes for the light to reach the telescope itself is negligible compared to the vast time spans involved. Therefore, we can observe objects that are millions of light years away and see how they appeared in the distant past.