Dog days Dog days The dog days or are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius, which Greek and Roman astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The English name is a calque of the Latin "" (."the puppy days"), itself a calque of the Greek "kynádes hēmérai" (, "dog days"). The Greeks knew the star α Canis Majoris by several names, including Sirius (,
MV Sirius Star ever to be hijacked. It is estimated that for the pirates to reach "Sirius Star", they must have voyaged south for three to four days. At the time of the attack, the ship was carrying a full load of of crude oil more than one-quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily oil production output, and worth at least and was bound for the United States via the Cape of Good Hope. According to officials from Puntland, the pirates anchored "Sirius Star" at the Somali port of Harardhere, contrary to early reports from the United States Navy that she was anchored near Eyl.