To the people of the ancient world, every bright star had a
personality. Some stars were welcomed into the dawn sky like a
lost child, while some were treated more like a mother-in-law
packing a month's worth of luggage. And sometimes, a single star
could bring both responses. A prime example is Sirius, the
brightest star in the night sky. It's lost in the twilight now,
but it'll start popping into view before sunrise within a few
days or weeks, depending on your location. Thousands of years
ago, the star made its first morning appearance a little earlier
in the year. From ancient Greece and Rome, it showed up at the
start of summer's heat -- a time that could bring disease and
famine. Since Sirius is known as the Dog Star, this time of year
was known as the Dog Days -- a time that hardly brought
rejoicing. Even earlier, though, the star did bring rejoicing to
the people of Egypt. Sirius first appeared around the time of
the annual Nile floods, which deposited fertile soil on the
fields. This time was so impo