Sandra Marie Wooten, age 1_ of Williamsburg, TTa., for her question:

What are the dog days?

The dog days are the hot sultry days of summer. They were named in ancient days from Sirius the Dog Star. North of the equator, Sirius is a star of the winter nights. During the summer, it crosses our skies in the day time. Though it is the most brilliant star we ever see, we cannot see it when it adorns the sky during the daytime, For then it is out dazzled by the sun.

From early July to early September, Sirius rises more or less with the sun. From four to six weeks, Sirius and the sun rids the day sky together. These are the dog days and it dust so happens that they occur during the height of the summer. Actually, Sirius does not add any heat to the heat of the sun.

During the dog days, people sweat and languish in the weary heat. Tempers are short. And some say that this is the time when dogs are most likely to got struck with rabies. However, even if this is true, it has nothing whatever to do with Sirius the Dog Star.