# Zenith

The point directly overhead — altitude 90°.

Objects near the zenith shine through the least air, so they're as bright and sharp as they get. (Its opposite, straight down through the Earth, is the nadir.)

**At the eyepiece:** Dobsonian telescopes can be awkward right at the zenith; objects a little lower are easier to track.

**Related:** [Altitude](https://astropilot.space/glossary/altitude.md), [Meridian](https://astropilot.space/glossary/meridian.md), [Extinction](https://astropilot.space/glossary/extinction.md)

From the AstroPilot astronomy glossary: https://astropilot.space/glossary/zenith