Here’s a guide to stargazing during the dog days of summer

These hot August nights can be great for stargazing. Here’s a look at what’s going on above us right now and later in the month.

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The expression “dog days” refers to the period from July 3 through Aug. 11, when Sirius rises in conjunction with the sun. Sirius means “glowing” in Greek because it is the brightest star visible from Earth and only a few planets, the full moon and the International Space Station outshine it. Sirius is nicknamed the “Dog Star” because it is part of the constellation Canis Major, Latin for “the greater dog.” The actor Keanu Reeves has a band named Dogstar.

In ancient times people felt that the combination of the sun during the day and the star at night was responsible for the extreme heat during midsummer.

Sirius A, is 8.6 light-years from Ear