August 1st – 31st
Many people believe the phrase “dog days of summer” stems from the fact that dogs tend to be a bit on the lazy side during the hottest days of summer. Of course, who can blame them? With that much fur, dogs that exercise during the hot days of summer can overheat easily. However, the phrase doesn’t stem from lazy dogs lying around on hot and humid days. Instead, to find the answer, we only need to look to the summer sky.
The ancient Romans called the hottest, most humid days of summer “diēs caniculārēs” or “dog days.” The name came about because they associated the hottest days of summer with the star Sirius. Sirius was known as the “Dog Star” because it was the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Sirius also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky.
For the ancient Romans, the dog days of summer occurred from about July 24 to around August 24. Over time, though, the constellations have drifted somewhat. Today, The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional timing of the dog days of summer as being July 3 until August 11.
Although the dog days of summer are usually the hottest, they don’t have anything to do with either dogs or the star Sirius. Instead, the tilt of the Earth explains why these days tend to be the summer’s hottest.
25% off the top of all purchases will go to the following charities: Cody’s Friends and Two Pups Wellness Fund.
Wilde Meyer Gallery, 4142 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ.
Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00 to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
info@wildemeyer.com, www.wildemeyer.com, 480-945-2323
Contact: Samantha Matkovich
sm@wildemeyer.com
