it's a smidge more than 3000 miles away from me
Why do RE'ers keep getting the basics wrong after being here for so long? You know, things like "it's probably not safe to assume that the vacuum of space does not have the same optical properties as air and/or obstacles on the Earth"?
This isn't an FE problem, this is a "you forgot to think" problem. "I can see stars therefore visibility on the Earth is perfect" - this is nonsense regardless of which model you prefer to subscribe to.
As for the OP - pipe down. You're not the final boss of the Internet. Nobody will "dare" to debate you like making a post on our own forum would be some super spooky feat. If you have a questions, put on a big smile and ask them. You might get the answers you seek, or maybe you won't. Social interactions are a great thing.
Oh, and start with the FAQ. You won't make much headway if you don't know the first thing about how light behaves in FET.