Latest news with #CanisMajor
CBS News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
The Dog Days of Summer
The "Dog Days of Summer". It is a phrase you probably have heard before. When you think of the "dog days", it conjures an image of hot and humid weather coupled with long, summer days. So, why is this part of the summer season even mentioning dogs? Is it because it is so hot that we're "doggin'" it? That is a good guess, and we certainly do "dog it" in the heat and humidity, but the name has more to do with something in space than it does with the hot weather here on Earth. We must look 8.7 light years away to find the namesake for our summer's "Dog Days". This hot stretch of weather is named after the star Sirius. According to NASA, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, 20 times brighter than our Sun and over twice as massive. Obviously, since it is almost nine light years away, to us the Sun appears brighter since it is closer. Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. This gives it the nickname "the Dog Star." The National Weather Service says the Dog Days of summer run from July 3 through August 11, which is 20 days prior to and 20 days after the star Sirius rises and falls in conjunction with the sun. While the name "Dog Days" deals with a star, we still "dog it" this time of year!
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What are the ‘dog days of summer?' Meteorologist explains
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — The phrase 'the dog days of summer' is one you may have heard to describe hot and humid summer days, but where exactly does the term come from, and what does it mean? 'Dog days of summer' actually relates to astronomy. The idea dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times, when people relied heavily on constellations for information. The brightest star in the sky after the Sun is Sirius, which translates to glowing or scorching in Latin and is commonly referred to as 'the dog star'. It's part of the constellation Canis Major, which translates to 'Greater Dog,' one of Orion's hunting companions. West Virginia high school band to perform in DC 4th of July parade During the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the sun. Around July 23rd, it is in conjunction with the Sun, meaning it appears directly behind it from our perspective on Earth. In ancient times, people believed that this alignment with the sun and Sirius added extra heat to the Earth, marking a stretch of particularly hot and humid days. This period, called 'the dog days of summer,' spans from July 3rd to August 11th. In reality, summer heat is caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis, which directs more sunlight toward the northern hemisphere. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb Space Telescope Captures Stunning View Of Spiral Galaxy NGC 2283
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured imagery of spiral galaxy NGC 2283, which is located about 45 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb) | edited by
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Our brightest star can lead us to Orion's hunting dog
This week we will use the brightest star in the night sky to find a less than obvious constellation. Canis Major, the Great Dog, was included in Ptolemy's 2nd-century list of 48 constellations in his great work Almagest. This became the standard reference work for astronomy for a millennium, providing the basis on which the northern and equatorial skies are still divided into constellations. The Almagest also championed the idea that Earth, not the sun, was the centre of the solar system, so it was not perfect. The chart shows the view looking south-south-west from London at 2030 GMT on 17 March, although the view will be essentially the same all week. Orion's belt points to the brilliant dog star, Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. From there, the rest of the dog's shape can be traced using the fainter stars in the constellation. A dark sky will be useful for this. Canis Major, and the nearby constellation Canis Minor (not shown on the chart), are Orion's hunting dogs. From the southern hemisphere, Canis Major rides high in the sky during the evening at this time of year. Face north-west and look for it, up near the zenith.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Sparkling galaxy blazes with star formation in new James Webb Space Telescope image
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A nearby galaxy is ablaze with new stars in a dazzling new image from the James Webb Space Telescope. Located 45 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Canis Major, this barred spiral galaxy, called NGC 2283, exhibits a bright central bar of stars encircled by loosely wound, swirling arms blazing with star clusters and interstellar gas. The James Webb Space Telescope captured these tightly-knit groupings of young stars illuminating the hydrogen gas that surrounds them, which is the primary fuel source for star formation along with powerful stellar explosions, known as supernovas. "While the process of star formation converts gas into new stars, supernovae complete the cycle. The explosion of a supernova can fling gas across hundreds of light-years, enriching the star-forming clouds of the interstellar medium with elements like oxygen and sodium," ESA officials said in a statement releasing the new image. "Over time, the supernova-enriched gas is incorporated into new generations of stars, continuing the life cycle of gas and stars in galaxies across the universe." NGC 2283 is home to a Type II supernova, which is a violent explosion that occurs when a massive star collapses, signaling the end of its life. The supernova, called SN 2023AXU, was first observed on Jan. 28, 2023. This type of supernova occurs when the star nearing the end of its life is at least eight times as massive as the sun. The collapse of the star's core triggers a subsequent rebounding and explosion of material in the star's outer layers, from which new stars form. The new view of NGC 2283 was created using six images taken by the JWST's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope over the course of 17 minutes. During this time, astronomers used different near- and mid-infrared filters to capture the galaxy's varying emissions and stellar population. The data was collected as part of a larger initiative to study the connections between stars, gas and dust in nearby star-forming galaxies. "NGC 2283 is just one of the 55 galaxies in the local universe examined by Webb for this programme," ESA officials said in the statement. "All of the galaxies surveyed in this programme are massive star-forming galaxies close enough for individual star clusters and gas clouds to be visible." Related Stories: — 'It's extremely worrisome.' NASA's James Webb Space Telescope faces potential 20% budget cut just 4 years after launch — James Webb Space Telescope reveals how a cosmic 'Phoenix' cools off to birth stars — James Webb Space Telescope discovers one of the earliest 'truly gargantuan' supernovas ever seen The new JWST image captures an up-close, face-on view of NGC 2283, highlighting its intricate spiral arms and dense regions of hot gas and dust, which emit varying colors of red, orange and yellow. The color differentiation is based on the type of particles present. For example, sooty molecules, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, emit infrared radiation that acts as a beacon of active star forming regions across the universe. Observing these molecules lends insight on the chemistry and physical conditions of stellar nurseries like NGC 2283. The telescope also captured a number of large, bright stars with prominent diffraction spikes. These stars are actually located in our own Milky Way galaxy and lie between the telescope's line of sight and NGC 2283.
