First of all, it is impossible to see anything at all in total darkness. Total darkness means the absence of light, and our eyes depend on light to see. With that said, it is quite rare to be in a situation with total darkness, even at night. City lights reflecting off of clouds, car headlamps, the moon, the stars, and even the airglow of the night sky itself all fill the night with faint light. Most of our experiences with darkness are actually cases of partial darkness; where there is still a small amount of light present. With enough time, our eyes can adapt and see the low levels of light present in partial darkness.