What did early astronomers use before the telescope?

Answer 1

Arab astronomers invented the astrolab, a device for helping them mark the positions of the planets and constellations through the seasons.

Before them the Greeks had invented the "Ankylothera" device, sort of a celestial calendar.

Prior to both of these groups Egyptians marked the ground with stones to note the position of the sun at its solstices and equinoxes. Stone henge, in England, was an astronomical observatory. There are also rock arrangements in South America American Indian observers used to note the positions of stars.

Answer 2

Before the invention of the telescope, early astronomers used tools like the naked eye, astrolabes, and quadrants to observe and study the stars and planets. They also relied on instruments like the armillary sphere and the art of celestial navigation to track celestial movements.