This graphic shows the Earth's postition on its orbit around the sun on June 1st with colors that indicate the southern hemisphere's seasons (see SIMB pictures: Junin de los Andes). Popularly seen they are already in early winter, astronomically seen they are in late autumn and soon reach the winter solstice on the orbit around the sun: on June 21st, 10.51 GMT. Then the sun will have reached its lowest declination: this will be the shortest day everywhere on the southern hemisphere and the beginning of the three months long winter. 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 autumn, June may mark the transition from autumn to winter which will reign in July and August and continually cool down the southern hemisphere. This might result in fresh snow, recovering glaciers and sea ice - unless the atmosphere is even less transparent to heat than usually or there is an energy exchange across the equator with air or water.