This graphic shows the Earth's postition on its orbit around the sun on June 1st with colors that indicate the northern hemisphere's seasons. Popularly seen we are already in early summer, astronomically seen we are in late spring and soon reach the summer solstice on our orbit around the sun: on June 21st, 10.51 GMT. Then the sun will have reached its highest declination: this will be the longest day everywhere on the northern hemisphere and the beginning of the three months long summer. There is little change at this time of the year: in June the difference in the sun's declination is only 1.5°. Therefore our planet will have quite stable conditions and it will be interesting to see what consequences this will have for the Earth's systems. As much as May may be considered the month of spring, June may mark the transition from spring to summer which will reign in July and August and continually heat up the northern hemisphere. This will result in melting snow, glaciers and sea ice - unless the atmosphere is more transparent to heat than usually or there is an energy exchange across the equator with air or water.
