Although it’s raining here today – a huge low has moved over much of British Columbia, bringing with it the rain needed to dowse some forest fires – we have entered the “dog days of summer.”

The “dog days” are so-called after the star Sirius, which is also referred to as the “dog star.” Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, becomes visible above the eastern horizon during the pre-dawn hours in August.

During ancient times, the August arrival of Sirius was associated with heat, drought, thunderstorms, humidity, illness and even bad luck.

So, why is it called the “dog star?” Well, that’s because it’s the brightest star of Canis Major, the “great dog” constellation. In ancient times, Canis Major was thought to be the pet of the constellation Orion because like a loyal and faithful dog, it followed Orion across the sky.

All that history of star-gazing the constellations has come down to us today through the simple phrase “dog days of summer” and of course, through the old symbol of Sirius radio, a flop-eared dog with a star as its eye.

Happy Saturday.