Zenith telescope

Zenith telescope

A zenith telescope is an instrument adapted for the measurement of small differences of zenith distance, and used in the determination of astronomic latitude.Zenith telescopes are often portable; however the Monument to the Great Fire of London is a notable example of a large, non-portable zenith telescope.

High-precision (and fixed building) zenith telescopes were also used until about early 1980s to track Earth's north pole position e.g. Earth's rotation axis position.Since then radio astronomical quasar measurements have also measured Earth's rotation axis several orders of magnitude more accurately than optical tracking.

Another interesting modern variation of the theme is Large Zenith Telescope.


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  • Zenith telescope — Zenith e nith (?; 277), n. [OE. senyth, OF. cenith, F. z[ e]nith, Sp. zenit, cenit, abbrev. fr. Ar. samt urras way of the head, vertical place; samt way, path + al the + ras head. Cf. {Azimuth}.] [1913 Webster] 1. That point in the visible… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • zenith telescope — noun or zenith tube : a telescope that is installed in a fixed vertical position so that it can be used only to observe stars crossing the meridian near the zenith which is at the center of its field of view and that is used for precise time and… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Liquid Zenith Telescope — 49.287583333333 122.572777777787 DEC …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Large Zenith Telescope — 49.287583333333 122.57277777778 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Large Zenith Telescope — The Large Zenith Telescope (LZT) is a 6.0 m diameter liquid mirror telescope located in the University of British Columbia s Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, about 70km east of Vancouver. It is one of the largest optical telescopes in the world,… …   Wikipedia

  • Zenith — e nith (?; 277), n. [OE. senyth, OF. cenith, F. z[ e]nith, Sp. zenit, cenit, abbrev. fr. Ar. samt urras way of the head, vertical place; samt way, path + al the + ras head. Cf. {Azimuth}.] [1913 Webster] 1. That point in the visible celestial… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Zenith distance — Zenith e nith (?; 277), n. [OE. senyth, OF. cenith, F. z[ e]nith, Sp. zenit, cenit, abbrev. fr. Ar. samt urras way of the head, vertical place; samt way, path + al the + ras head. Cf. {Azimuth}.] [1913 Webster] 1. That point in the visible… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Zenith sector — Zenith e nith (?; 277), n. [OE. senyth, OF. cenith, F. z[ e]nith, Sp. zenit, cenit, abbrev. fr. Ar. samt urras way of the head, vertical place; samt way, path + al the + ras head. Cf. {Azimuth}.] [1913 Webster] 1. That point in the visible… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • zenith tube — noun see zenith telescope * * * Astron. a telescope mounted to point only at the zenith, used at some observatories for measuring time by the stars. Also called zenith telescope. [1830 40] …   Useful english dictionary

  • Telescope mount — A telescope mount is a mechanical structure which supports a telescope. Telescope mounts are designed to support the mass of the telescope and allow for accurate pointing of the instrument. Many sorts of mounts have been developed over the years …   Wikipedia

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