To use this map, cut it out and attach it to a stiff backing. Hold it over your head and line up the compass points on the map to the compass points on the horizon from where you're observing. East and West on this map are not backward. This is not a misprint. I guarantee when you hold this map over your head, east and west will be in their proper positions. Also, use a small flashlight and attach a red piece of cloth or red construction paper over the lens of the flashlight. You won't lose your night vision when you look at this map in red light.

It's not as flashy as a Fourth of July fireworks show, but stars are available for gazing every clear night this month and let's face it, the average municipal fireworks show only goes on for a half-hour.

Armed with bug juice you can stargaze all night long, and I've noticed, at least where I've been, that the mosquitoes leave you alone and go to bed around 11 p.m.

It's not exactly like the grand finale of a fireworks show, but the planets Mars, Venus, and Saturn are putting on quite a show in the low western Butler sky as they prowl in and around the constellation Leo the Lion.

In fact this Friday night Venus, by far the brightest of the planet trio, will be less than a degree within the moderately bright star Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion.

This is quite a celestial hugging as one degree of arc in the sky is only the width of two full moons butted up against each other. If it's cloudy Friday, the conjunction will be just about as close from midweek through the coming weekend. If you're keeping score at home, Venus is about 93 million miles away and Regulus is just a little more than 450 trillion miles distant!

I'll have a lot more on the Mars, Venus, and Saturn show this month in this Skywatch column.

The Dippers are in their usual place in the northern sky, twirling around the North Star with the Big Dipper hanging from its handle. Look at Mizar, the middle star of the Big Dipper's handle, and see if you can spot its faint companion Alcor.

In the high southwestern sky you'll see the brightest star in the sky tonight, Arcturus, which is also the brightest star in Bootes and the second brightest star we will see in the entire night sky through the course of the year. Bootes is supposed to be a farmer hunting the Big Bear. It's much easier to see it, though, as a giant kite with Arcturus at the tail.

In the eastern heavens, you'll see the prime stars of summer on the rise. The best way for finding your way around the summer stars is to locate the "Summer Triangle," made up of three bright stars, the brightest in each of their respective constellations. You can't miss them. They're the brightest stars in the east right now.

The highest and brightest star is Vega, the bright star in a small faint constellation called Lyra the harp. The second brightest star on the lower right is Altair, the brightest in Aquila the Eagle. Altair is on the corner of a diamond that outlines the wingspan of the great bird.

The third brightest at the left corner of the summer triangle is Deneb, a star more than 3,000 light years away. It's also the bright star in the tail of Cygnus the Swan.

Cygnus is also known as the "Northern Cross" because that's what it really looks like. Deneb is at the head of the Northern Cross, presently laying on its side as it rises in the east.

Mike Lynch is an amateur astronomer and professional broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio in Minneapolis and is author of the book "Pennsylvania Starwatch," available at bookstores and at his website www.lynchandthestars.com.