The Rise of the Big Dog

By Matthew Johnson

“The dog days of summer.” This is a phrase that I recall hearing decades ago as a child and occasionally to this day. Where did this term come from? Research reveals that it is defined as the period of July 3 to Aug. 11, centered around July 23, and that the phrase possibly originated with the ancient Greeks.

It is historically the period coinciding with what is termed the “heliacal rising” of the star Sirius, known colloquially as the “Dog Star” because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Big Dog) and is the brightest star visible from Earth. The name Sirius comes from an ancient Greek word for “scorching” or “glowing.”

A heliacal rising is when a star rises on the eastern horizon alongside the sun and travels across the sky with the sun all day. The ancient Egyptians believed that when Sirius rose at the same time as the sun that it added to the sun’s heat and that this perceived double intensity of Sirius and the sun caused the hot weather. We now know that it is hot during the summer because the sun’s rays are at a steep angle to Earth. Sirius is much too distant to influence the earth’s climate.

But the name stuck, and the dog days are still the hot, sultry days which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, lethargy, fever and thunderstorms. They are now taken to be the hottest days in the Northern Hemisphere.

Planets

From Aug. 1-7, the planet Mercury can be lo-cated along the horizon before sunrise. Venus will be brilliant in the west, visible about 1.5 hours after the sun sets. Mars, in the constellation Gemini, rises in the east around 2:40 a.m. and can be seen crossing the heavens in the south until sunrise. Jupiter briefly shows itself in the constellation Cancer in the east about one hour before sunrise. Saturn, in constella-tion Pisces, rises around 10:30 p.m. and grac-es the skies for the rest of the night.

Moon Phases

Aug. 5: Last Quarter; right side of moon is dark.

Aug. 12: New Moon; no visible moon. Partial solar eclipse.

Aug. 19: First Quarter; left side of moon is dark.

Aug. 28: Full Moon

Meteor Showers

If the skies remain clear during the night of Aug. 11 and before the sun rises on Aug. 12, the Perseid meteor shower should be wonderful as there will be no interference from the moon as it is in its New phase.

Eclipse

On Aug. 12, a partial solar eclipse will occur over Connecticut beginning at 1:03 p.m. and ending at 2:42 p.m. Only 12 percent of the eclipse will be visible in Connecticut. For those who happen to be in either Iceland or Spain on Aug. 12, a total eclipse of the sun will pass over these two countries. For viewing, Iceland, located between 63 and 67 degrees latitude, is unfavorable as it is often cloudy. Therefore Spain, at 40 degrees latitude, with its Mediterranean climate will be the favored country to observe the solar eclipse. Since the Perseid meteor shower is taking place as the solar eclipse is occurring, it may be possible to spot a meteor streaking across the darkened sky during the eclipse. The eclipse will begin at 7:30 and end at 8:46 Central European Summer Time. Remember not to look directly at the sun, as this will damage eyesight. Special commercial eclipse glasses, widely available online, are recommended