this stuff gets too deep for me.
i think i understand that an incredible telescope could see glimpses of my past or a ship going faster than light could see my past if it could zoom in on me on earth circa 1986 Good Year :)
or some @#$@#$ like that. i dont know. where’s my g..... beer.
That assumes all images went out in a straight line - which they do, in essence from an object, but the rotation of the Earth would screw up your reference point (air waves give a shimmer, gravity can bend or so I’ve heard).
As you said, only brief glimpses could be seen - cloud cover notwithstanding or any space-traveling object, that on the most slim chance crossed the path, obscuring the view.
I liked the response Marilyn vos Savant gave - if the universe is endless (given), and star light travels incredible distances, why is it that the heavens don’t appear to be nearly one bright, constant light.
Because the others are so very, very, very distant, the light hasn’t been able to get to us yet. Even though some has traveled incredible distances. I remind myself that the Sunlight you see (or accidentally see the star itself while driving - hopefully dodging looking directly) is in fact, roughly 5 minutes old itself. You’re looking at history when you move the visor to block out looking directly at the Sun.