I used to have a 6" Orion reflector many years ago. With a 25mm ep and
terrestrial viewing, I could get a nice image, albeit upside down, at about
3/4 of a mile. Anything closer than that was difficult to see. With a 40mm
ep, I would "guess" your 8" would be effective for terrestrial at about the
same or maybe a mile. Don't expect to see something in your backyard, unless
you have a focuser that's 3 feet long, and you want to count the number of
feathers on the left leg of a sparrow.

Congrats on the new scope!
--
Tom
"Do, or do not. There is no try" (Yoda, 1980).

"Ducky" wrote in message
...
Hi

I will be getting my first telescope soon. It will be an Orion SkyQuest
XT8 Dobsonian. I have ordered a shorty+ barlow in addition to the
included eyepieces. I’m thinking this telescope might also be useful for
casual terrestrial observations as I have a very nice view from my
terrace. A refractor is probably the best solution for this, but I am
not planning to get one anytime soon. So, I was wondering, is there any
usable solution to get an upright image in this telescope?

Regards

Athle