A coyote in Banff, Canada

© Harry Collins/Getty Image

Hot enough to howl. The dog days of summer

Is it hot enough for you? Chances are it is, as we get into what are typically the hottest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, thanks to the tilt of the Earth angling more towards the sun in summer. You may have heard that this sweltering period is called the dog days of summer, though that name doesn't come from hot dogs or panting pooches. Rather it comes from Sirius, or the Dog Star, which becomes visible above the eastern horizon at daybreak during the summer. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, and is part of Canis Major, not to be confused with the Canis latrans, or coyote, in today's image, who is just trying to beat the heat.