Astronomy and the dog days of Summer.

[KingClinton]

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&u ... Cu8FOi544A

[Thefatkitty]

That's neat; I never connected the two. As a kid I always thought "Dog days of summer" was just a not-so-nice way of saying it's hot out. A time when dogs are panting, looking for a shady spot, and just generally wishing they weren't covered in fur and had sweat glands...

Now if I hear that expression, I can ask the person who said it if they know what it actually means. I know I do... at least now

Thanks for the info and clearing that up for me!

All the best,

[Graeme1858]

Doh!

Regards

Graeme

[Gfamily]

I can't read it either, but I assume it relates how the 'dog days' are named in association with the timing of when Sirius rises just before the Sun (heliacal rising) at the beginning of August (in Egypt at least)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_days

Interestingly; in French, a summer heatwave is known as a Canicule (from the Latin dies caniculares)

[KingClinton]

Sorry for the link that is not readable in some countries.

Here is another version from NG

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... 4375468171

[Gfamily]

Can someone check my logic here: The NG article says

This means that the dog days of ancient Greece aren’t the dog days of today. What it also means is that several millennia from now, this astrological event won’t even occur during the summer.
“In 26,000 years, the dog days would completely move all around the sky,” said Schaefer. “Roughly 13,000 years from now, Sirius will be rising with the sun in mid-winter.”

The Heliacal rising of Sirius may well have moved to January/February, but the precession of the equinoxes would mean that those months will be the (Northern hemisphere) Summer months by then.

Am I correct there?

[bobharmony]

I have always enjoyed those early August mornings when Orion starts making his annual appearance, followed in a few days by Sirius, so have always associated the "dog-days" with the annual return of the dog star. What can I say, I come by it naturally Now if only I could come by AP skills as naturally!

Bob

[mcolbert]

one fervently hopes that in the millenia to come that there will not be the 'mobile/cell phone of summer' star.