Due to the primary mirror's material, the NASA-LMT was configured as a zenith telescope.
He invented the combined transit instrument and zenith telescope that was used to determine latitude, including that of Hawaii.
A zenith telescope is a type of telescope that is designed to point straight up at or near the zenith.
A classic zenith telescope, also known as a zenith sector employs a strong altazimuth mount, fitted with levelling screws.
Other types of zenith telescopes include the Monument to the Great Fire of London that included a central shaft meant for use as a 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.
Regular observation of movements of celestial poles began with the construction of the zenith telescope in 1904.
A zenith telescope is only able to look straight up.
Some telescopes designed to measure star transits are zenith telescopes designed to point straight up at or near the zenith for extreme precision measurement of star positions.
A lunar zenith telescope can be made cheaply with ionic liquid.