What physiological effect limits the human eye's ability to perceive dim objects when surrounded by excessive artificial light?

Pupils contract and light-sensitive cells in the retina become less responsive

The human eye possesses an ability to maximize light gathering through a process called dark adaptation, which takes considerable time. When an observer is exposed to excessive artificial light, a protective mechanism triggers the contraction of the pupils, limiting the amount of light that enters the eye. Simultaneously, the light-sensitive cells in the retina, particularly the rods crucial for night vision, become desensitized or less responsive due to the high ambient illumination. This dual effect severely curtails the eye's capacity to perceive faint objects, even if the faint object's light is successfully reaching the eye.