When you "see" objects at a distance, what you mean is that photons originating from the object reach your eyes. Atmosphere, air, is a fluid. Fluids bend light. You can see beyond the mathematically theoretical horizon because the photons reflect off of the layers of different temperature air.

Edit: here's what I'm saying. The red is the angle of the light, the triangle represents atmosphere acting as a prism. https://ibb.co/GTNjgxb

When you "see" objects at a distance, what you mean is that photons originating from the object reach your eyes. Atmosphere, air, is a fluid. Fluids bend light. You can see beyond the mathematically theoretical horizon because the photons reflect off of the layers of different temperature air.

When you "see" objects at a distance, what you mean is that photons originating from the object reach your eyes. Atmosphere, air, is a fluid. Fluids bend light. You can see beyond the mathematically theoreticalhorizon because the photons reflect off of the layers of different temperature air.