What is the zenith?

On Mon, 13 Mar 2000, Rich wrote:

> What is a zenith and do you have any words about space that start with the
> letter Y?

Hello,

The zenith is the point in the sky directly overhead. (It's opposite is
the nadir, or the point directly underfoot.)

Let's see, there are only a few astronomy words that begin with the letter
Y:
yellow - the color of our sun
Yerkes Observatory - home of the world's largest refracting
telescope (A refracting telescope uses lenses to
bend light, while a reflecting telescope uses
mirrors.)
Yokoh - a satellite that takes pictures of the sun's x-rays

Thanks for writing!

Sincerely,
Kurtis Williams

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