@AnthonyJCook2@xipteras Right until that NGC catalogue it was fun poetic naming, which to some extent it still is but in reference to standard coordinates west to east especially for deep sky imaging of faint emission nebulae requiring long exposures.
@AnthonyJCook2@xipteras Pre 1888 it was casual poetic naming based on unarmed human eyes, of course the catalogue had to be created after but you are partly right there.