Scientific basis Dog days
orion (right) , sirius (bottom), seen hubble space telescope. although sirius brightest proper star in night sky, 8.7 light-years (8.23×10 km) away earth , has no effect whatsoever on weather or temperature. although star continues return night sky in late summer, position continues shift relative sun , rise in middle of winter in 10,000 years. the effects of summer heat , rainfall patterns real, vary latitude , location according many factors. example, london in uk farther north calgary, canada, has milder climate presence of sea , warm gulf stream current. medical institution has reported connection between finland s dog days , increased risk of infection in deep surgery wounds, although research remains unverified.