JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hot, blazing sun... sweltering heat and humidity... enough to make the dogs are bit more sluggish? The "Dog Days" of summer are here!
Maybe you've heard this phrase before, but do you know where it comes from? The answer is in our summer sky.
The "Dog Days" of summer are said to coincide with the rising of the "dog star" called Sirius. Not including our own Sun, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. In the summer months, Sirius rises and sets with our sun.
In fact, the "dog star" is so bright that ancient Greeks and Romans thought it radiated extra heat toward Earth adding to the Sun's heat and causing hotter temperatures. The name “Sirius” even stems from the Ancient Greek seírios, meaning “scorching.”
The Old Farmer's Almanac and many other sources list the traditional timing of "Dog Days" of summer as July 3 through August 11.
Now, while this makes for a great story these hot, summer days have nothing to do with Sirius. Instead, they have everything to do with the tilt of our planet.
During the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the tilt of the Earth causes the Sun's rays to hit at a more direct angle and for a longer period of time throughout the time. Simply put, we have longer, hotter days and, therefore, we have warmer temperatures.
Head to the beach to cool your paws because these summer days don't last fur-ever. Jacksonville's average high temperature in early July is 92 degrees. Enjoy!