Final answer:
The ciliary muscle is relaxed when viewing distant objects, allowing the lens to become less convex and have a lower converging power, which facilitates focusing on distant images.
Step-by-step explanation:
When viewing a distant object, the ciliary muscle is in a relaxed state. This results in the lens of the eye being less convex (flatter) and therefore having a lesser converging power, which is perfect for distant vision.
During accommodation, the process by which the eye adjusts the lens is critical for focusing light correctly onto the retina. For distant objects, the light rays are nearly parallel and don't require much bending, so the lens stays flatter to correctly project the image on the retina. When looking at closer objects, the light rays enter the eye more divergent, needing the lens to have greater curvature and power to focus. This increase in power is achieved by the contraction of the ciliary muscles, which makes the lens more rounded.
The eye's ability to switch between these states is essential for clear vision at all distances. This mechanism, known as accommodation, is exemplified by the difference between the relaxed state for distant vision and the accommodated state required for close vision.