hence, figuratively, the point of culmination; the greatest height; the height of success or prosperity
the point of the celestial sphere directly overhead, 90 degrees above the horizon, for any point on the earth It is the point where a plumb line extended upward would intersect the celestial sphere
The zenith is the direction that is straight up When the Sun is in the zenith, then shadows are commonly the shortest
The observer's overhead point (altitude 90º) Zodiac A belt stretching round the sky, 8º to either side of the ecliptic, in which the Sun, Moon and principal planets are to be found at any time (Pluto is the only planet which can leave the Zodiac, though many asteroids do so )
n The point in the heavens directly overhead to a man standing or a growing cabbage A man in bed or a cabbage in the pot is not considered as having a zenith, though from this view of the matter there was once a considerably dissent among the learned, some holding that the posture of the body was immaterial These were called Horizontalists, their opponents, Verticalists The Horizontalist heresy was finally extinguished by Xanobus, the philosopher-king of Abara, a zealous Verticalist Entering an assembly of philosophers who were debating the matter, he cast a severed human head at the feet of his opponents and asked them to determine its zenith, explaining that its body was hanging by the heels outside Observing that it was the head of their leader, the Horizontalists hastened to profess themselves converted to whatever opinion the Crown might be pleased to hold, and Horizontalism took its place among fides defuncti
samt ar-ra's = [Arabic] way over your head The zenith is the direction that is straight up When the Sun is in the zenith, then shadows are commonly the shortest
The zenith is the point in the sky directly overhead from your location Directly opposite the zenith, below your feet, is the "nadir"