* The Concept of "Universe": Before the telescope, the concept of a vast universe beyond Earth was limited. People generally believed in a geocentric model, where Earth was the center and everything else revolved around it.

* Visible Objects: The naked eye could only see a limited number of celestial objects:

* Sun, Moon, and Stars: These were clearly visible, but their true nature was often misunderstood.

* Planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were known, but they were thought to be "wandering stars."

* Comets: These were seen as rare and unpredictable occurrences.

* The Milky Way: This band of light was recognized but its true nature was a mystery.

* No "Counting" in the Modern Sense: People didn't have the tools or the scientific framework to count or categorize celestial bodies in the way we do today.

So, the answer is: It's impossible to say precisely how many celestial bodies were "known" before the telescope. People recognized and observed a handful of objects, but their understanding of the universe was drastically different from our modern perspective.