What are the “dog days” of summer?

 

The brightest star in the night sky, and in the constellation Canis Major (greater dog), is Sirius. During the summer, it rises in the pre-dawn sky in the same area as the sun. The ancient Greeks believed that Sirius, which translates as “the scorcher,” enhanced the heat of the sun. Sirius is sometimes referred to as “the dog star.” Put is all together, and those hot days are the dog days of summer.