Autumn is one of the four temperate
seasons, marking the transition from
summer to
winter. In North America, where it is known as fall, the season traditionally starts on the
September equinox (21 to 24 September) and ends on the
winter solstice (21 or 22 December). Meteorologists in the Northern Hemisphere use a definition based on Gregorian calendar months, with autumn being September, October, and November. In
Southern Hemisphere countries such as Australia and New Zealand, which also base their seasonal calendars meteorologically rather than astronomically, autumn officially begins on 1 March and ends on 31 May.
This photograph shows a typical autumnal scene in Dülmen, Germany, with the shedding of yellow, orange and red leaves by deciduous trees in temperate climates. The September equinox falls at 13:31 UTC on 22 September in 2020.Photograph credit: Dietmar Rabich; retouched by Eric Gaba