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's horizon to the actual direction you're facing. East and West on this map are not backwards. This is not a misprint. I guarantee that 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 really autumn now, and it's a really wonderful time to get out and enjoy the absolute beauty of the night sky.

We're entering the prime time of stargazing season. The nights are longer, and with less moisture in the air the skies are clearer. Even if you're not a big time stargazing fan, you owe yourself the treat of lying back on a reclining lawn chair and taking in the celestial happenings. The dark skies of the countryside are best, but it's even a great show right from your backyard.

To start out the evening look for a super bright star in the low southwestern sky during the later stages of evening twilight. That's actually the planet Venus, about 120 million miles from Earth.

A telescope won't show you any detail because it's very low in the sky and is blurred pretty severely by our atmosphere. Besides that, it's a heavily clouded planet to begin with. Don't wait too long to look for Venus because it slips below the horizon by 8 p.m.

The planet Jupiter is still holding court higher in the southwest sky. Using a telescope or even a small pair of binoculars, see if you can spot up to four of Jupiter's orbiting moons and some of the cloud bands on the great planet.

To the lower right of Jupiter in the lower southwest sky, try to find the great constellation Sagittarius the Archer, which actually looks like a tipping teapot.

Even though it's autumn, summer is hanging on in the western sky. You can still easily see the famous "Summer Triangle" high above the western horizon, made up of three bright stars from three separate constellations.

There's Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp; Altair in Aquila the Eagle; and Deneb, the brightest star, in Cygnus the Swan. Cygnus is also known by a lot of stargazers as the "Northern Cross".

In the north the Big Dipper is upright and riding low in the northwestern sky. In fact, it's getting so low that it's hard to see if you have a high tree line. The Big Dipper is the most famous star pattern there is, but technically it's not a constellation. The Big Dipper is actually the rear end and the tail of the constellation Ursa Major, the Big Bear. It's also the brightest part of the Big Bear.

Also, if you're far enough away from the city lights you may see the bright Milky Way Band, the thickest part of our home galaxy, stretching from the northeast to southwest horizon. Make the Stars your old Friends before you need a heavy coat!

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 Web site www.lynchandthestars.com