Dog Days of Summer

We frequently use the phrase “dog days of summer” to talk about the sweltering heat that occurs in July through August, which is generally the hottest part of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This term has astronomical origins.

Ancient Romans observed that Sirius, the “Dog Star” located in the constellation of Canis Major (the Big Dog), rises and sets in close conjunction with the sun—Sirius used to appear even nearer to the sun in ancient times. At an apparent magnitude of -1.46, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky.

When Sirius was up in the sky, the Romans noticed how hot the summers were. Their conclusion was that the heat from Sirius added to that of the sun’s, so the star was responsible for the hottest time of the year.

The name Sirius is of Greek origin and means “scorching,” and the star is about twice as massive as our sun. Sirius is actually a binary star system, meaning that two stars, Sirius A and its much fainter companion Sirius B, orbit around a common center of mass.

Astronomy-Related Apps

Looking for iPad or iPhone apps that can tell you about the night sky? Try some of these:

Star Walk (iPad only): Point the iPad anywhere in the sky, and, based off of the iPad’s compass, the app will label stars, constellations, and satellites in that part of the sky. This feature is called augmented reality. The app also has a calendar of astronomical events and allows users to travel to any time in the past or future.

Pocket Universe (iPhone, iPad): This app also uses augmented reality to show the constellations, stars, planets, and Messier objects. Includes a quiz to help users learn the names of the stars.

MoonPhase (iPhone, iPad): Shows the moon’s phases, its rise and set times, and the sun’s rise and set times—and everything else one needs to know about our moon.

Star Search (iPhone, iPad): Helps users find 16 constellations and provides information about each one. Great for beginners still learning the stars.

Sky Walk (iPhone, iPad): Identifies stars, planets, galaxies, constellations, and satellites using augmented reality.

Check them out in the iTunes app store.

UNH Releases Undergraduate Research Journal

Studying the economics of an eco-friendly resort in Belize. Learning how mathematics can describe biology. Traveling to a monastery in New York to see how Russian Orthodoxy in the United States survived communism during the 20th century.

The stories that student research experiences have generated are abundant at the University of New Hampshire. See what students are investigating in the 2012 edition of Inquiry journal, which is now available to read online.

Inquiry, the multi-disciplinary journal for undergraduate research at UNH, is published online annually in April. The journal features articles and personal commentaries about research experiences from current UNH students and alumni.

Published on April 26, the 2012 edition is the eighth issue of the journal.