By Trish Svoboda

The Greeks and Romans, who found July and August particularly oppressive, attributed the intense heat to a celestial phenomenon involving the nearby star Sirius and the Sun, according to Greg Doering with the Kansas Farm Bureau.

Sirius, known as the “dog star” due to its place in the “Greater Dog” constellation, made the period from early July to mid-August known as the “dog days” in the Northern Hemisphere. During this time, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun, leading the Greeks to believe that its added light contributed to the heat, humidity, and discomfort of summer.

As the brightest star visible from Earth, Sirius held significance for various cultures. For ancient Egyptians, it signaled the flooding of the Nile, while Polynesians used it to navigate the Pacific and mark winter, according to Doering.

In the Aeneid, the poet Virgil expressed Roman sentiments about Sirius: “The dog star, that burning constellation, when he brings drought and diseases on sickly mortals, rises and saddens the sky with inauspicious light.”

On July 23, the Sun and Sirius will rise and set at nearly the same times for those north of the Equator. The “dog days” were traditionally considered to last 20 days before and after this astronomical event.

In Kansas, the dog days resemble the sweltering conditions described by the Greeks more than those of ancient Egypt or Polynesia. Although Sirius isn’t actually responsible for the heat the dog days remain a distinct season.

“Much like the Greeks, we also experience blazing days capable of driving men and dogs to madness. Luckily, we have air conditioning now.,” said Doering.