The Dog Days of Summer
It is a phrase you probably have heard before. When you think of the "dog days", it conjures an image of hot and humid weather coupled with long, summer days.
So, why is this part of the summer season even mentioning dogs?
Is it because it is so hot that we're "doggin'" it?
That is a good guess, and we certainly do "dog it" in the heat and humidity, but the name has more to do with something in space than it does with the hot weather here on Earth.
We must look 8.7 light years away to find the namesake for our summer's "Dog Days".
This hot stretch of weather is named after the star Sirius.
According to NASA, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, 20 times brighter than our Sun and over twice as massive. Obviously, since it is almost nine light years away, to us the Sun appears brighter since it is closer.
Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major.
This gives it the nickname "the Dog Star."
The National Weather Service says the Dog Days of summer run from July 3 through August 11, which is 20 days prior to and 20 days after the star Sirius rises and falls in conjunction with the sun.
While the name "Dog Days" deals with a star, we still "dog it" this time of year!
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