For the Northern Hemisphere, June through August means longer days and warmer temperatures. That’s because the Earth tilts on its axis and the Northern Hemisphere points toward the sun during this part of Earth’s rotation. Here are some fun facts and trivia from our favorite time of year — summer!

In Paris, France, summer heat causes the iron of the Eiffel Tower to expand, making the tower grow by more than six inches! This is an especially dramatic example, but this seasonal growth actually happens to all different kinds of building materials. Bridges, buildings, and highways expand and grow every year as they are heated and cooled by the seasons. Luckily, engineers are aware of this change and are very careful to compensate for it when designing and building large structures.

Breathtaking field of sunflowers in the middle of summer.

Long before the Eiffel Tower was built, the ancient Greeks struggled to understand the heat, drought, and sickness that occurred during the summer months. They realized that this time coincided with the arrival of the Canis Major (Large Dog) constellation. They ended up blaming the brightest star of that constellation (Sirius or the “Dog Star”) for the seasonal changes, and the phrase “the dog days of summer” was born.

Speaking of the dog days of summer, have you ever noticed that crickets seem a lot more active during the summer months? That’s because their chirping sounds change with the temperature. If you ever want to know what the temperature is outside, you can count how many times a cricket chirps in 15 seconds, then add 37, and you will have the approximate temperature in Fahrenheit.

Regardless of whether you get to see the Eiffel Tower, experience the “dog days of summer,” or listen to crickets in the heat, we hope that you have an amazing summer full of new memories and fun activities!