[garmaine]

While astronomers are obviously very much aware that light-years is a measure of distance, "seeing further away" is a stand-in for "seeing further back in time." New telescopes are rated by how much further away they can resolve in terms of light-years because that is a direct translation into how close to the Big Bang they can resolve.

What I'm saying is that it is extremely useful that being able to resolve objects 13.2 billion light-years away means being able to see back 13.2 billion years in time. The units are 1:1 convertible, and astronomers therefore frequently interchange them in casual conversation.