What happens when you look at a star that is 10 light-years away from Earth?
Answer
You are seeing the star as it appeared 10 years ago
Because light takes time to travel through space, viewing distant objects is equivalent to looking back in time. Light from a star 10 light-years away requires exactly 10 years to reach the observer. Therefore, the image perceived by the observer represents the state of the star as it was a decade in the past.

#Videos
How Many Years are in a Light Year? | The Speed of Light - YouTube
Related Questions
What does a light-year specifically measure in the field of astronomy?How many seconds are contained in a single Julian year for calculation purposes?What is the approximate speed of light in a vacuum in kilometers per second?Which unit is preferred for measuring distances within our own solar system?How many light-years is approximately equal to one parsec?What happens when you look at a star that is 10 light-years away from Earth?Why is it important that a light-year is defined by light traveling in a vacuum?What is the approximate distance of a light-year in kilometers?How long would it take to travel one light-year in a car driving at 100 kilometers per hour?Why do astronomers use light-years instead of miles or kilometers for interstellar distances?