Which factor can affect your ability to see a lighthouse from a distance?

The height of your eyes above the water significantly affects your ability to see a lighthouse from a distance due to the curvature of the Earth. The higher your vantage point, the further you can see because you have a clearer line of sight beyond obstacles like waves and the horizon. As a general rule, the more elevated your position, the greater the distance you can observe objects, including lighthouses. This is rooted in the principles of geometry and the Earth’s curvature, which limits visibility based on height above sea level.

While factors like time of day, weather conditions, and size of the lighthouse can influence visibility to some extent, they do not have the same direct impact on the distance you can see an object due to eye level and the curvature of the Earth. Low light levels at night might reduce visibility, adverse weather might obscure vision, and a larger lighthouse might be more visible at a distance; however, these factors do not override the fundamental impact that eye height has on the line of sight.