On March 15, 2000, a discussion thread began in the sci.astro.amateur (SAA) newsgroup when someone posed the question: “What are your favorite non-Messier objects for 8-12″ telescopes?” Newsgroup participants responded enthusiastically to the question, posting many messages nominating a wide variety of objects.
Fortunately, newsgroup participant Karl Hutchings kept a cumulative list of all the nominations and totaled the number of votes for each object. When the discussion thread wound down a few days later, Karl posted a list of 90 objects that SAA participants had named as their favorites.
| Object | Type | Con | VMag | Size | Pop. Name | Notes |
| NGC 752 | OC | And | 5.7 | 50.0′ | ||
| NGC 891 | Gal | And | 9.9 | 14.0’x3.0′ | edge-on spiral w/prominent dust lane | |
| NGC 7662 | PN | And | 8.6 | 17.0″x14.0″ | Blue Snowball Nebula | |
| NGC 6781 | PN | Aql | 11.8 | 1.9’x1.8′ | ||
| NGC 7009 | PN | Aqr | 8.3 | 28.0″x23.0″ | Saturn Nebula | |
| NGC 7293 | PN | Aqr | 6.3 | 16.0’x12.0′ | Helical Nebula | |
| NGC 6397 | GC | Ara | 5.7 | 25.7′ | one of the nearest Globulars | |
| NGC 1907 | OC | Aur | 8.2 | 7.0′ | ||
| NGC 1502 | OC | Cam | 6.9 | 8.0′ | near SE end of Kemble’s Cascade | |
| Kemble’s Cascade | Asterism | Cam | first described by Canadian amateur Lucian J. Kemble; beautiful chain of about 20 mag. 5…9 stars; coordinates are for SAO 12969, a mag. 5 star in the middle of the Cascade | |||
| NGC 2403 | Gal | Cam | 8.5 | 17.8′ | ||
| NGC 3372 | BN | Car | 120.0’x120.0′ | Eta Carina Nebula | ||
| NGC 3532 | OC | Car | 3 | 55.0′ | ||
| NGC 225 | OC | Cas | 7 | 12.0′ | ||
| NGC 457 | OC | Cas | 6.4 | 13.0′ | Owl Cluster | |
| NGC 654 | OC | Cas | 6.5 | 5.0′ | ||
| NGC 659 | OC | Cas | 7.9 | 5.0′ | ||
| NGC 663 | OC | Cas | 7.1 | 16.0′ | ||
| Stock 2 | OC | Cas | 4.4 | 60.0′ | Muscleman Cluster | |
| NGC 7789 | OC | Cas | 6.7 | 16.0′ | ||
| NGC 3766 | OC | Cen | 5.3 | 12.0′ | ||
| NGC 5128 | Gal | Cen | 6.8 | 18.2’x14.5′ | Centaurus A | strong radio source |
| NGC 5139 | GC | Cen | 3.7 | 36.3′ | Omega Centauri | best GC in the sky |
| NGC 40 | PN | Cep | 10.7 | 1.0’x0.7′ | ||
| NGC 6939 | OC | Cep | 7.8 | 8.0′ | ||
| IC 1396 | BN | Cep | 3.5 | 154.0’x140.0′ | ||
| King 10 | OC | Cep | 3.0′ | |||
| NGC 247 | Gal | Cet | 9.1 | 20.0’x7.0′ | ||
| NGC 2359 | BN | CMa | 8.0′ | Thor’s Helmet; Duck Nebula | Wolf-Rayet remnant | |
| NGC 2360 | OC | CMa | 7.2 | 13.0′ | ||
| NGC 2362 | OC | CMa | 4.1 | 8.0′ | ||
| Mel 111 | OC | Com | 1.8 | 275.0′ | Coma Berenices Star Cluster | |
| NGC 4565 | Gal | Com | 9.6 | 15.5’x1.9′ | Bernice’s Hair Clip | classic edge-on spiral with dust lane |
| Abell 1656 | Gal cluster | Com | 11 | 120.0′ | Coma Gal Cluster | tough in 8-12″ aperture |
| NGC 4038 | Gal | Cor | 10.3 | 2.6’x1.8′ | The Antennae; Ringtail Gal | interacting with NGC 4039 |
| NGC 4039 | Gal | Cor | 10.6 | 3.2’x2.2′ | The Antennae | interacting with NGC 4038 |
| NGC 4361 | PN | Cor | 10.3 | 1.3′ | ||
| NGC 4755 | OC | Cru | 4.2 | 10.0′ | Jewel Box Cluster; Kappa Crucis | |
| NGC 4244 | Gal | CVn | 10.4 | 18.5’x2.3′ | ||
| NGC 4631 | Gal | CVn | 9.2 | 17.0’x3.5′ | same LP field as NGC 4656 | |
| NGC 4656 | Gal | CVn | 10.5 | 22.0’x3.0′ | same LP field as NGC 4631 | |
| Albireo | Star | Cyg | 3.1 | superb double star; blue-white/yellow | ||
| NGC 6819 | OC | Cyg | 7.3 | 5.0′ | ||
| NGC 6826 | PN | Cyg | 8.8 | 27.0″x24.0″ | Blinking Planetary | |
| NGC 6888 | BN | Cyg | 20.0’x10.0′ | Crescent Nebula | ||
| NGC 6960 | SNR | Cyg | 70.0’x6.0′ | Western Veil | ||
| NGC 6992 | SNR | Cyg | 25.0’x20.0′ | Eastern Veil | ||
| NGC 7000 | BN | Cyg | 175.0’x110.0′ | North American Nebula | large; often easier in binoculars than telescope | |
| NGC 2070 | BN | Dor | 8.3 | 5.0′ | Tarantula Nebula | in Lg. Magellanic Cloud |
| NGC 5907 | Gal | Dra | 10.3 | 12.8’x1.8′ | ||
| NGC 6543 | PN | Dra | 8.3 | 22.0″x16.0″ | Cat’s Eye Nebula | |
| NGC 1535 | PN | Eri | 10.4 | 20.0″x17.0″ | multiple shells | |
| Fornax Gal. Cluster | Gal cluster | For | 3°x2° | approx. 20 galaxies brighter than mag. 13 | ||
| NGC 2158 | OC | Gem | 8.6 | 5.0′ | ||
| NGC 2392 | PN | Gem | 8.6 | 47.0″x43.0″ | Eskimo Nebula; Clown Face | |
| NGC 6210 | PN | Her | 9.7 | 20.0″x13.0″ | ||
| NGC 3242 | PN | Hya | 8.6 | 40.0″x35.0″ | Ghost of Jupiter | |
| NGC 2903 | Gal | Leo | 9 | 13.3’x6.0′ | ||
| IC 418 | PN | Lep | 10.7 | 14.0″x11.0″ | ||
| NGC 2232 | OC | Mon | 3.9 | 30.0′ | ||
| NGC 2237 | BN | Mon | 5.5 | 70.0’x80.0′ | Rosette Nebula | OC NGC 2244 embedded in nebula |
| NGC 2244 | OC | Mon | 4.8 | 24.0′ | involved with Rosette Neb. (NGC 2237) | |
| NGC 2261 | BN | Mon | 2.0’x1.0′ | Hubble’s Variable Nebula | ||
| NGC 2264 | OC | Mon | 3.9 | 30.0’x60.0′ | Christmas Tree Cluster; Cone Nebula | includes naked-eye S Mon (15 Mon) |
| NGC 2301 | OC | Mon | 6 | 12.0′ | ||
| B 59, 65-7 | DN | Oph | 300.0′ | Pipe Nebula (stem) | ||
| NGC 6369 | PN | Oph | 11 | 30.0″x29.0″ | ||
| B 78 | DN | Oph | 200.0′ | Pipe Nebula (bowl) | ||
| IC 4665 | OC | Oph | 4.2 | 41.0′ | ||
| NGC 6572 | PN | Oph | 9 | 15.0″x12.0″ | ||
| NGC 6633 | OC | Oph | 4.6 | 27.0′ | ||
| NGC 1973 | BN | Ori | 5.0’x5.0′ | part of Running Man Nebula | ||
| NGC 1975 | BN | Ori | 10.0’x5.0′ | part of Running Man Nebula | ||
| NGC 1977 | BN | Ori | 20.0’x10.0′ | part of Running Man Nebula | 42 Orionis nebula | |
| NGC 2169 | OC | Ori | 5.9 | 7.0′ | “37” Cluster | |
| NGC 2174 | BN | Ori | 25.0’x20.0′ | |||
| NGC 6545 | Gal | Pav | 13.2 | 1.0’x0.9′ | Needle Galaxy | |
| NGC 7331 | Gal | Peg | 9.5 | 11.4’x4.0′ | Little And Gal | |
| NGC 869 | OC | Per | 5.3 | 30.0′ | Double Cluster | w/NGC 884 |
| NGC 884 | OC | Per | 6.1 | 30.0′ | Double Cluster | w/NGC 869 |
| NGC 1023 | Gal | Per | 9.4 | 9.0’x4.0′ | ||
| Mel 20 | OC | Per | 1.2 | 185.0′ | Alpha Persei Association | |
| NGC 1528 | OC | Per | 6.4 | 24.0′ | ||
| NGC 2438 | PN | Pup | 11 | 1.1′ | in foreground of M 46 | |
| NGC 2467 | BN | Pup | 7.1 | 15.0′ | use UHC or O-III filter; includes loose cluster of mag. 8-12 stars | |
| NGC 253 | Gal | Scl | 7.2 | 25.0’x7.0′ | edge-on spiral | |
| NGC 6231 | OC | Sco | 2.6 | 15.0′ | Table of Scorpius | zeta Sco complex |
| NGC 3115 | Gal | Sex | 8.9 | 8.3’x3.2′ | Spindle Gal | |
| Mel 25 | OC | Tau | 0.5 | 330.0′ | Hyades | Aldebaran not a member |
| NGC 104 | GC | Tuc | 4 | 30.9′ | 47 Tucanae | |
| NGC 2841 | Gal | Uma | 9.2 | 7.4’x3.5′ | ||
| NGC 3877 | Gal | Uma | 11 | 5.6’x1.2′ | ||
| Markarian’s Chain | Gal chain | Vir | string of bright galaxies; covers 3 degrees of sky, starting with M84 & M86 in Virgo, ending with NGCs 4459 & 4474 in Coma Berenices; coordinates are for M 84 | |||
| 3C 273 | Quasar | Vir | 12 | brightest quasar; most remote object visible in modest amateur telescopes (~ 2 billion light years) | ||
| NGC 4526 | Gal | Vir | 9.7 | 7.0’x2.7′ | Lost Gal | |
| NGC 4567 | Gal | Vir | 11.3 | 3.0’x2.5′ | Siamese Twins | overlaps NGC 4568 |
| NGC 4568 | Gal | Vir | 10.8 | 5.1’x2.4′ | Siamese Twins | overlaps NGC 4567 |
| NGC 5746 | Gal | Vir | 10.3 | 7.4’x1.1′ | ||
| Cr 399 | Asterism | Vul | 3.6 | 60.0′ | Brocchi’s Cluster; The Coathanger | once assumed to be a OC; data from Hipparcos spacecraft shows it to be a chance alignment of stars |
| NGC 6885 | OC | Vul | 8.1 | 7.0′ |