Apologies for the simpleton question, but how exactly can we see objects around us if our atmosphere is made up of a vast amount of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and myriad other such atoms and molecules? Surely such atoms should be "blocking" out view, like trillions of tiny billiard balls? Or can we see "through" atoms, due to their being made up of mostly empty space or due to something stranger and more complex such as their wave-particle duality?
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9Duplicate of Why is the atmosphere transparent in the visible spectrum? – John Rennie Nov 13 '15 at 17:17
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On the empty space claim: see this post. – Kyle Kanos Nov 13 '15 at 19:53
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You can see through many things: glass, water and other liquids etc.. What you see however is a matter of what is being transmitted or re-transmitted by the particles present in the medium, after some waves-lengths will be reflected or absorbed.
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Presuming it's a clear day (ie. no clouds, fog, or smog), then there are certain wavelengths (colors) of light that will transmit through the atmosphere with minimal loss. Of course, there is Rayleigh scattering that preferentially scatters shorter wavelengths at 90 degrees (this is why the sky is blue and sunsets are red).
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