I understand why we can’t see stars during the day: the sun illuminates the atmosphere and effectively blots them out. But why can’t we see low earth orbit satellites, which are not exactly “outside” the atmosphere? If they’re inside, shouldn’t we see them reflecting sunlight back to us?
You can see some of them that way, particularly the ISS and Iridium satellites. Both require that you, the satellite and the sun be in the right position for you to see a reflection (or “flare”).
It’s worth noting that some satellites are smaller than a loaf of bread and low-earth orbit is 800-2000 km. By comparison, the horizon can be under 5 km. And there’s also the atmospheric conditions between you and it to consider.
If you want to watch a satellite flyover, there are sites and apps that provide the times for your location.
The first time I saw the ISS go over, it reminded me of those silent, fast action scenes in The Expanse. 😄