May morning sky show; Mississippi raging

If you're an early riser, you're in for a rare treat in the morning sky this month.

A rare grouping of planets in the eastern sky just before sunrise will delight sky watchers all month. Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are all closely clustered in various configurations this month in the morning sky.

Looking due east about 30 minutes before sunrise, here's what you'll see on clear mornings this month. The planet configurations will vary day to day, but all 4 planets should be visible all month long.

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On May 30th & 31st, the razor this waning crescent moon will join the planets for a grand finale.

Here's a great skywatchers guide for May from UA's Flandrau Science Center.

Mississippi Raging: Flood woes spread south

As waters begin to all to slowly recede in Memphis the flood focus on the Mississippi shifts south to Mississippi and Louisiana over the weekend and next week. Record flood levels are forecast.

Latest river forecasts here.

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA

1250 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011

...CONTINGENCY FORECASTS FOR MISSISSIPPI AND ATCHAFALAYA RIVERS...

SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL ACROSS THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO RIVER

VALLEYS OVER THE PAST MONTH HAS LED TO HISTORIC...AND IN SOME

CASES RECORD BREAKING...RISES ON BOTH RIVERS. AS THIS WATER MOVES

DOWNRIVER...SIGNIFICANT RISES WILL OCCUR ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI

AND ATCHAFALAYA RIVERS THROUGH SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL

LOUISIANA.

ALL OF THE LATEST RIVER FORECASTS FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER

FORECAST CENTER ACCOUNT FOR A FULL OPENING OF THE BONNET CARRE

SPILLWAY LOCATED IN ST. CHARLES PARISH. THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

WILL CONTINUE TO OPEN UP MORE GATES OF THE BONNET CARRE SPILLWAY

WITH EVENTUALLY ALL 350 BAYS EXPECTED TO BE OPENED. THE OFFICIAL

FORECASTS CURRENTLY DO NOT ACCOUNT FOR A POSSIBLE OPENING OF THE

MORGANZA SPILLWAY IN POINTE COUPEE PARISH. HOWEVER...THE RIVER

FORECAST CENTER IS PROVIDING CONTINGENCY FORECASTS WHICH ACCOUNT FOR

A POSSIBLE OPENING OF THE MORGANZA SPILLWAY

Thanks so much to all of you for all your support during this week's member drive on MPR.

Have a great weekend!

PH