<p>A word for the highest point (not elevation) is <em>zenith</em>. See: <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zenith" rel="nofollow">http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zenith</a> , second definition: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So 'solar zenith' would describe the highest point the sun reaches.'</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-06T15:06:32.103Z
2016-07-06T15:06:32.103Z
yatima2975
<p>The term for when the sun is at its highest is "solar noon".</p>

<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noon#Solar_noon" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noon#Solar_noon</a> It is the moment the sun crosses the meridian. The meridian is an imaginary half-circle that goes from the northernmost point on the horizon to the highest point directly above you and then to the southernmost point on the horizon. The sun is always at its highest point in its daily path when it crosses the merdian.</p>

<p>You're right that in earlier centuries, each town would set its clocks at noon for when the sun was at its highest point. Those of us who are familiar with astronomy and history would call that type of timekeeping "apparent solar time". You can't guarantee an exact 24 hour day with "apparent solar time", so some people used "mean solar time" instead. (Historical note: Having each town choose its local noon became a nightmare for railway companies that wanted to set train schedules. So the railway companies urged the creation of 4 time zones in America and encouraged each small town to use "standard time" instead of "apparent solar time".</p>

<p>And as rgettman already mentioned, the term for the sun's height above the horizon is "altitude". Astronomers use the term "elevation" for a person's distance above sea level.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-07T23:11:39.623Z
Astronomers use the term "elevation" as a synonym for "altitude". Some examples: https://dept.astro.lsa.umich.edu/ugactivities/Labs/outdoor_series/constellations/constellations.html , http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/CBI/pointing/ , http://www.gb.nrao.edu/GBTopsdocs/primer/horizon_coordinate_system.htm .
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T12:28:38.830Z
Actually is it always at the highest point when it crosses the meridian? Eg-  In the Northern Hemisphere, between mid-March and mid-June might it be slightly higher a few fractions of a second afterwards? (Genuine question, not just being an annoying pedant)
adrianmcmenamin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:47:57.650Z
@adrianmcmenamin Good question. I thought the solar noon was defined to be the moment of crossing the meridian. Maybe the sun is slightly higher a few seconds before or after because of the analemma. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma The analemma shows us the sun's noon position changes a bit from day to day, making a slender figure 8 in the sky.
RichS
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:49:01.187Z
@adrianmcmenamin One might imagine an exception for when somebody is standing at the North Pole on the longest day of the year. Then the sun just goes in a circle above the horizon each day. That's the one time and place (in the Northern Hemisphere) where the sun is always at the highest altitude for every minute of the day. Even then, it is at its highest when it crosses the meridian simply because it is always the same altitude for every minute of the day.
RichS
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-30T09:04:31.600Z
The Sun crosses the meridian twice a day. Once in the highest, and once in the lowest point - when it's usually below the horizon, but during polar day it may happen it's above the horizon in both cases.
SF.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-07T06:10:28.040Z
2016-04-07T06:10:28.040Z
RichS
<p>The sun travels in an arc across the sky. Where I live, during the summer the arc rises higher, but in the winter the arc is lower. Once might speak of highest altitude or elevation the sun reaches during any given day. In the old days this was called "high noon" when the sun had reached the highest point in the sky for that day. The town clock would be set to 12 at this point.</p>

<p>Is there a term for the elevation of the sun in the sky?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-06T22:37:46.823Z
It's ["altitude"](http://heavens-above.com/glossary.aspx?term=altitude) and not "elevation".
rgettman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-06T22:42:40.880Z
The "arc" you talk about is called the Ecliptic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic). This is the path the sun takes in the sky, and would stay stationary if the earth weren't tilted, but as it is tilted the suns path in the sky varies over a year giving us the seasons.
Dean
<the-sun><terminology>
Term for altitude of the sun?
Tyler Durden
# Term for altitude of the sun?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-06)

The sun travels in an arc across the sky. Where I live, during the summer the arc rises higher, but in the winter the arc is lower. Once might speak of highest altitude or elevation the sun reaches during any given day. In the old days this was called "high noon" when the sun had reached the highest point in the sky for that day. The town clock would be set to 12 at this point.

Is there a term for the elevation of the sun in the sky?

**Tags:** the-sun, terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's ["altitude"](http://heavens-above.com/glossary.aspx?term=altitude) and not "elevation".  
> **username_2**: The "arc" you talk about is called the Ecliptic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic). This is the path the sun takes in the sky, and would stay stationary if the earth weren't tilted, but as it is tilted the suns path in the sky varies over a year giving us the seasons.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-07-06. Score: 1

A word for the highest point (not elevation) is *zenith*. See: <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zenith> , second definition:

> the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body

So 'solar zenith' would describe the highest point the sun reaches.'


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-04-07. Score: 1

The term for when the sun is at its highest is "solar noon".

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noon#Solar_noon> It is the moment the sun crosses the meridian. The meridian is an imaginary half-circle that goes from the northernmost point on the horizon to the highest point directly above you and then to the southernmost point on the horizon. The sun is always at its highest point in its daily path when it crosses the merdian.

You're right that in earlier centuries, each town would set its clocks at noon for when the sun was at its highest point. Those of us who are familiar with astronomy and history would call that type of timekeeping "apparent solar time". You can't guarantee an exact 24 hour day with "apparent solar time", so some people used "mean solar time" instead. (Historical note: Having each town choose its local noon became a nightmare for railway companies that wanted to set train schedules. So the railway companies urged the creation of 4 time zones in America and encouraged each small town to use "standard time" instead of "apparent solar time".

And as username_1 already mentioned, the term for the sun's height above the horizon is "altitude". Astronomers use the term "elevation" for a person's distance above sea level.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Astronomers use the term "elevation" as a synonym for "altitude". Some examples: https://dept.astro.lsa.umich.edu/ugactivities/Labs/outdoor_series/constellations/constellations.html , http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/CBI/pointing/ , http://www.gb.nrao.edu/GBTopsdocs/primer/horizon_coordinate_system.htm .  
> **username_6**: Actually is it always at the highest point when it crosses the meridian? Eg-  In the Northern Hemisphere, between mid-March and mid-June might it be slightly higher a few fractions of a second afterwards? (Genuine question, not just being an annoying pedant)  
> **username_4**: @username_6 Good question. I thought the solar noon was defined to be the moment of crossing the meridian. Maybe the sun is slightly higher a few seconds before or after because of the analemma. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma The analemma shows us the sun's noon position changes a bit from day to day, making a slender figure 8 in the sky.  
> **username_4**: @username_6 One might imagine an exception for when somebody is standing at the North Pole on the longest day of the year. Then the sun just goes in a circle above the horizon each day. That's the one time and place (in the Northern Hemisphere) where the sun is always at the highest altitude for every minute of the day. Even then, it is at its highest when it crosses the meridian simply because it is always the same altitude for every minute of the day.  
> **username_7**: The Sun crosses the meridian twice a day. Once in the highest, and once in the lowest point - when it's usually below the horizon, but during polar day it may happen it's above the horizon in both cases.  

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