We are now in the dog days of summer. Some would say it is so hot that the temperature is not fit for a dog. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the dog days of summer are the days between July 3rd and August 11th. The phrase refers to when the sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of the earth and part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog.

In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the sun. On July 23rd, specifically, it is in conjunction with the sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it gave off heat and added to the sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sultry weather. Hence, the Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius.

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