AMC ticket prices will soon be different depending on seat location

You may have to pay extra to get good seat at AMC Theatres.

The country's largest movie theater chain announced Monday plans to price tickets based on seat location within the auditorium, meaning moviegoers will pay different prices depending on their proximity to the screen.

Think concert ticket pricing – the closer you are to the stage the more you're going to pay. In this case, the closer you are to the screen, the cheaper your ticket. How much more exactly? AMC hasn't announced yet.

But the new pricing initiative, called Sightline at AMC, already kicked off in select locations and will roll out nationwide by the end of the year, AMC said.

Sightline at AMC offers three tiers of seats:

Standard Sightline: The "most common" seats, which are available for "the traditional cost of a ticket."

Value Sightline – Seats in the front row, which are "available at a lower price than Standard Sightline seats"

Preferred Sightline – Seats typically in "the middle of the auditorium," which are priced at "a slight premium to Standard Sightline seats."

Value sightline pricing is only available to members of the AMC Stubs loyalty club, including the free tier, while paid members can reserve preferred sightline seats at no additional cost.

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The ticketing initiative represents the latest attempt by a major movie theater chain to boost attendance and revenue after the COVID-19 pandemic forced theaters to shutter.

Sightline ticketing applies to all showtimes after 4 p.m. at participating locations. It's not applicable on Tuesdays, when AMC sells tickets at a discount.

AMC said theaters that offer variable pricing will provide a detailed seat map that will outline each option when patrons purchase tickets online, on the AMC app and at the box office.

Looking Back: When Carmike ruled the cinema scene in Sioux Falls

Eric Renshaw

For the Argus Leader

Starting in the 1980s, Carmike Theatres seemed to come from nowhere to virtually dominate the business of movie exhibition. The company, based in Columbus, Georgia, grew from the ambition of Carl L Patrick. Carl was born in Honaker, Virginia in 1918. When he was ten, his father, Deward, died, leaving Carl, his mother, Virginia, and his brother, Harold, to fend for themselves. After graduating from the Dublin, Maryland high school, Patrick worked as a laborer before entering the Army in 1941. He was injured during the war and returned home in 1943. He was discharged with the rank of major In 1945.

New movie screen at Emagine Novi is Michigan's largest

John Monaghan

Special to the Detroit Free Press

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will be everywhere this weekend, but audiences who catch it at the Emagine Novi will have bragging rights for having viewed it on Michigan's largest movie screen. The theater's new Super EMAX auditorium, which opens Friday, sports a 4K digital image that’s 92 feet wide by more than 48 feet tall.

Just how big is that?

"It's the size of a professional basketball court," says Anthony LaVerde, the new CEO of Troy-based Emagine Entertainment. "The only screen bigger is at Grauman's Chinese IMAX Theatre in Hollywood."

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The theater will be open to the public Friday starting at 6 a.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony starts at 9 a.m., and a ticketed screening of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" follows at 9:30 — the first of several throughout the day. Many of the opening weekend Super EMAX screenings are sold out. Tickets are $11 for matinees and $15 for shows after 6 p.m. The movie will also be shown on other screens at the Emagine Novi.

The auditorium opening caps a nearly $5-million restoration project at the multiplex, which is at the Fountain Walk Shopping Center on West 12 Mile Road. The updates also include a larger lobby and a cafeteria-style concession counter that includes a pizza oven, quesadilla bar and self-serve soda fountain. That new food service has been operational since late summer.

The Super EMAX theater, which seats 300, was created by combining two 280-seat auditoriums. It has powered recliner chairs whose cup holders can support concession trays. Like the lobby, the Super EMAX auditorium is decorated in earthy browns, beiges and blacks, a sharp departure from the bright purple that was once associated with Emagine. The freshly installed carpet and seats give the theater a new car smell.

The theater has a sit-down bar, though you can also bring alcohol into the auditorium. The ticket counter that once greeted audiences upon arrival is now off to the side, making the lobby, which has sleek chairs and couches, appear less like a movie theater and more like the lobby of a grand hotel.

To fill a screen so big, the Super EMAX 4K digital projection system uses a laser light source to provide the 48,000 lumens of light required to present a bright, clear picture. The Emagine's conventional EMAX screens (featured in all of its metro Detroit locations) require about 28,000 lumens. As of now, the Super EMAX screen is not equipped to show 3D films.

The Super EMAX auditorium also boasts a 64-channel Dolby Atmos immersive audio system.

"They can take a bird tweeting and put it in the rear corner, in this one speaker, so when you watch the movie, it's as if that sound is coming from behind you," says David Zylstra, Emagine’s vice president of technology.

The state’s largest movie screen previously was the IMAX screen at the Henry Ford in Dearborn. The theater severed ties with IMAX in late 2015 around the time of the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Many fans were disappointed that they couldn’t view that film on the Henry Ford screen, which measured 84 feet by 62 feet.

The Henry Ford has since reopened with a slightly smaller, more rectangular screen measuring 80 feet by 44 feet. "The Last Jedi" will play there as well as part of what the theater calls the Giant Screen Experience.

IMAX has been associated with large screens since the 1970s. There are still three metro Detroit theaters that sport the IMAX banner: the AMC Livonia 20, AMC Forum 30 in Sterling Heights and the Star Great Lakes 25 in Auburn Hills. (IMAX also supplies the domed image for documentaries at the Michigan Science Center.)

LaVerde bristles at the notion that the EMAX name is simply Emagine's version of IMAX (“they are completely different technologies," he says) and points to other aspects of the auditorium that are unique to Emagine. These include the extra-wide 7-foot spaces between aisles and the front-row love seats (called cuddle chairs) that were designed by Paul Glantz, Emagine Entertainment cofounder and former CEO who now serves as the company's chairman.

"The chairs in the first row of an auditorium are inherently unsalable. No one typically wants to sit in them," says Glantz. He notes that the new cuddle chairs are not only some of the most comfortable and intimate in the theater, but a full 45 feet away from the screen.

"People are going to be wowed," he says.

LaVerde takes over as CEO

On Tuesday, Anthony LaVerde was named Emagine Entertainment’s new CEO. He is replacing cofounder and longtime CEO Paul Glantz, who will now serve as chairman.

The announcement came as expansion plans are under way by the theater chain, which has 206 screens in Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota. Emagine, based in Troy, launched its first metro Detroit location in Novi in 2002 and has since opened other theaters in Canton, Royal Oak, Rochester Hills, Birmingham and Macomb.

LaVerde, who has spent the past two decades working in finance in New York City and Chicago, moved to the Detroit area in 2016. He has worked for the past seven months as Emagine's chief of staff.

"I hope to drive additional industry-leading innovations, enhance the brand and expand an already successful business," he said in a statement.

New 14-screen movie theater planned in Indio

Indio may soon be home to two multi-screen movie theater complexes.

Pasadena-based Maya Cinemas has announced plans to build a 14-screen complex on a vacant lot on Avenue 42, between Monroe Street and Spectrum Street.

Regal owns an eight-screen complex at 81725 Highway 111.

“Maya has been engaged in building a theater in the Coachella Valley for over five years,” said Lynnelle Sanchez, vice president of development and corporate affairs. The Indio location, she said, “meets our business model of where and how we select a location.”

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Construction is expected to begin the fourth quarter of 2018 and take about a year to complete, Sanchez said.

Maya Cinemas was started in 2001 by award-winning film producer Moctesuma Esparza, whose more than 40 movies and documentaries include “Selena,” “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.”

The company’s mission is to develop movie theaters in locations with a strong Latino presence.

“Latinos represent 23 percent of movie tickets sold while being 17 percent of the population,” Sanchez said.

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“Latinos go to the movies more often than the rest of the population – 11 movies a year vs. eight movies a year for non-Latinos,” Sanchez said.

“There are very few modern quality first-run theaters in Latino markets across the United States,” she said. “Moctesuma was exposed to this during his national premieres for some of his movies in major cities with huge Latino populations.

“When he produced ‘Selena,’ 10 years after 'Milagro Beanfield War,' the inventory of quality movie theaters in Latino neighborhoods had declined,” she said. “Being in the exhibition industry creates an opportunity to fulfill another goal for Maya Cinemas which is to grow in size in order to provide opportunities to people of color to have access to Hollywood, especially Latinos by showing their films that will otherwise not be shown in major movie theater chains.”

The company has four theaters currently open, all in California – in Bakersfield, Salinas, Fresno and Pittsburgh – with a fifth scheduled to open in Delano in May.

Theaters show first-run movies with the latest in projection and sound technology, have luxury recliner seats and offer tickets prices, generally slightly under other theaters, Sanchez said.

“Maya Cinemas builds, owns and operates its theaters,” Sanchez said. “We are a family oriented, value-driven movie theater company offering various community engagement programs…”

New Knoxville movie theater, Central Cinema, to open on Central ...

A new Knoxville movie theater is coming to Central Street.

Central Cinema, 1205 N. Central St., was first announced in June 2017 by General Manager Nick Huinker and his partners with Knoxville Horror Film Fest.

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"The group developed the business with the help of a $30,000 crowdfunding campaign, and are eager to unveil the finished product after a year of delays and false starts," according to a press release.

It will open in June and announce its opening date and programming lineup at Ijams Nature Center’s “Movies Under The Stars” screening of "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" from 6-10 p.m. on June 2.

“It’s taken longer than we figured, but our donors have been patient and supportive the whole time,” said Programming Director William Mahaffey in the release. “We’re eager to finally get out there and live up to their expectations.”

Facility and programming details

Central Cinema will have a 100-seat, wheelchair-accessible 4K digital auditorium, a concession lounge with popcorn, snacks, soft drinks and beer and a rear patio where attendees can come early or stay late to socialize.

Ticket prices will top out at $9 for evening screenings, and concession prices will be "well below chain theater prices," according to the press release.

The theater's programming will feature popular classes, first-run independent films and monthly and community-driven events.

“A good movie with the right crowd is one of the best shared cultural experiences you can have, but the multiplex version of that has built up a lot of baggage,” said Huinker in the release. “If you drive to surrounding cities you can find independent cinemas fighting back against that excess by taking film culture seriously, and we feel Knoxville’s cultural boom has cleared the way for success in doing the same.”

Advertising, event opportunities

Before it opens in June, Central Cinema is looking for local groups and businesses to collaborate with on advertising, partnered events and client services for both public and private use of the venue, according to the press release.

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The theater also plans to work with local interest groups to increase on-screen representation of marginalized communities.

Info: https://www.facebook.com/CentralCinemaKnox/.

Cineworld, the world's second largest movie theater chain, files for ...

New York CNN Business —

Cineworld Group — the world’s second largest movie theater chain and owner of Regal Cinemas — said Wednesday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The British company, which owns more than 500 movie theaters across the United States, said that it commenced Chapter 11 proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas to shed company debt. It also expects the action will “strengthen its balance sheet and provide the financial strength and flexibility to accelerate, and capitalize on, Cineworld’s strategy in the cinema industry.”

The company added that it has access to nearly $2 billion in financing from existing lenders to keep operating. Cineworld also said in the filing that it “expects to operate its global business and cinemas as usual throughout this process.”

The company warned late last month that a voluntary Chapter 11 filing was one of the options it was reviewing to reduce its debt.

“We have an incredible team across Cineworld laser focused on evolving our business to thrive during the comeback of the cinema industry,” Mooky Greidinger, Cineworld’s CEO, said in a statement on Wednesday. “The pandemic was an incredibly difficult time for our business, with the enforced closure of cinemas and huge disruption to film schedules that has led us to this point.”

Greidinger added that the bankruptcy filing is “part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our financial position and is in pursuit of a de-leveraging that will create a more resilient capital structure and effective business.”

“This will allow us to continue to execute our strategy to reimagine the most immersive cinema experiences for our guests through the latest and most cutting-edge screen formats and enhancements to our flagship theatres,” he added. “Our goal remains to further accelerate our strategy so we can grow our position as the ‘Best Place to Watch a Movie.’”

Like many theaters, Cineworld has struggled during the pandemic, which devastated the industry and is still impacting exhibition. The global health crisis caused theaters around the world to close and the company lost $2.7 billion in 2020 and another $566 million in 2021.

The economics have improved for theaters, but a return to normal is still far off.

The domestic box office rebounded this summer thanks to big hits like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jurassic Park: Dominion” as well as smaller hits like “Elvis” and “The Black Phone.” Yet, movie attendance has dried up in recent weeks amid a dearth of new films and supply chain issues hitting Hollywood and many features going straight to streaming.

— Mark Thompson and Anna Cooban contributed reporting.

When movie theaters reopen in Arizona: AMC, Harkins, RoadHouse ...

AMC Theaters announced Thursday that it will reopen most of its movie theaters around the country, beginning July 15.

And after a social-media firestorm, the nation's largest chain will require its audiences to wear masks.

"We’re thrilled to welcome you back and to celebrate 100 years of movies at AMC," the announcement posted to its website says. "We will reopen in waves, with the first set of AMC theatres opening doors on 7/15."

There is no indication which theaters, or where, will open that day. Requests for more information were not answered.

The website says that AMC will reduce audience capacity to 30% or less. Theaters will be cleaned between screenings. Wearing of masks is recommended, the website says, and required in locations that mandate their use. Disposable masks will be on sale.

AMC CEO and president Adam Aron told Variety that he was reluctant to require masks in all theaters.

“We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy,” Aron says in the interview. “We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary. We think that the vast majority of AMC guests will be wearing masks. When I go to an AMC feature, I will certainly be wearing a mask and leading by example.”

However, by Friday Aron had changed his tune.

“This announcement prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks,” he said in a statement. “Accordingly, and with the full support of our scientific advisors, we are reversing course and are changing our guest mask policy. As we reopen theatres, we now will require that all AMC guests nationwide wear masks as they enter and enjoy movies at our theatres.”

The website recommends social distancing.

What we know about FilmBar and Harkins

Downtown Phoenix's indie movie theater FilmBar will begin renting its theater for private parties of a maximum of 10 people on Friday, June 19. Masks will be required when audience members are not seated. The cost is $150, but Kelly Aubey, who owns FilmBar, said all screenings were sold out through the end of July.

He hopes to open a second screening room next week, he said. There are no immediate plans to reopen the theater fully.

Scottsdale-based Harkins Theatres has not announced its plans for reopening.

RoadHouse Cinemas opened its Scottsdale and Tucson locations on June 10. The Sedona International Film Festival is opening its Mary D. Fisher Theatre on June 12.

Technically, theaters could have opened when Arizona’s stay-at-home order expired on May 15. Few, if any, did, citing safety concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Doug Ducey closed theaters on March 20, as cases began to rise.

During the closure, Alamo Drafthouse’s Arizona theaters declared bankruptcy.

COVID-19 cases have continued to rise in Arizona over the past few days.

What safety precautions will be in place?

“At this time, we are working on bringing back about 30% of our employees and eventually will return to a full staff,” said Azra Bajraktarevic, the general manager of the Scottsdale RoadHouse theater. “We are implementing temperature checks for employees before they clock into work, and vendors that are dropping off supplies.”

In addition, “We have signs printed and placed around our building to help with social distancing as well as sanitizers at every auditorium entrance.”

As for seating, “We are implementing a new technology with our online ticket sales that will allow a group to purchase tickets, and then the system will automatically block the seats on either side to help with social distancing. The last few weeks, our managers have put in a ton of hours to deep clean and sanitize all locations.”

After each show, theaters will be cleaned again, and all chairs, cups, cupholders, call buttons and handrails will be sanitized, Bajraktarevic said.

Meanwhile, the Sedona International Film Festival has released its parameters for opening. They include:

Limited seating capacity for each show to allow for social distancing (33 people maximum).

Specified seating chart to accommodate social distancing.

Requiring masks for all volunteers and staff.

Temperature checks for all shifts for volunteers and staff.

Sanitizer available throughout the lobby, venue and restrooms.

Sanitation after every show, with a designated cleaning team.

Disinfecting common areas and high-traffic areas after every show.

Addition of Plexiglas dividers at concession stand and ticketing area.

Requiring masks for all patrons for entrance/exit to the theater (will provide masks, if needed).

UV wand cleaning and sanitizing of seats after every show.

In addition, according to the release, the theater has installed a new UV Air Pure Air Scrubber System to purify the air continuously through the HVAC systems in the theater and festival office.

“Patrons and guests can be assured they are breathing the cleanest, safest and freshest air while they are here enjoying films on the big screen,” Pat Schweiss, the director of the theater and the festival, said in the release.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk.

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Marcus Theatres to begin reopening next week in Wisconsin ...

Marcus Theatres Corp. will begin reopening cinemas next week in Wisconsin and two other states with limited schedules, 50 percent capacity and other measures to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The reopening of the nation's fourth-largest theater circuit begins on June 19 with six locations, including Marcus Ridge, in New Berlin; Renaissance, in Sturtevant; BistroPlex, in Greendale, and Valley Grand Cinemas, in Appleton.

Marcus also will open theaters in Omaha, Nebraska, and Roswell, Georgia.

Those initial openings will follow local health and safety guidelines, and will help Marcus fine-tune future phased openings in time for expected summer blockbusters, the company announced Thursday.

At first, theaters will be open only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays.

Also, hours initially will be limited to late morning through early evening.

Marcus plans to initially show movies that were popular when theaters nationwide closed in March. Those films include “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Bad Boys for Life,” “Jumanji: The Next Level,” and “The Invisible Man."

Also showing will be older movies, including a “Harry Potter" series.

Ticket prices will be $5. But those prices will rise with new releases.

Guests will still reserve seats. A checkerboard seating pattern, and a couple of empty seats between groups, will create social distancing that follows public health guidelines.

Staggered show times will limit the number of people in common areas of the theaters, and extra time between shows will allow for thorough cleanings, according to a company statement.

When movies end, guests will be asked to exit while practicing social distancing between groups, disposing trash, and avoiding congregating in the lobby.

Cinema employees will undergo wellness checks, and use face masks and gloves. Patrons will be encouraged to wear face masks.

Concession stands will be open. But cinemas with in-theater dining will require customers to pick up their orders instead of having them delivered to their seats.

Also, theater bars and lounges will be open, but table service will be temporarily unavailable.

And the theater chain's Zaffiro’s restaurants will open with proper spacing between tables, a maximum of six guests per party and other safety enhancements.

Marcus is encouraging customers to use the theater chain's app and website to order both tickets and concessions.

“We continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of Marcus Theatres and Movie Tavern by Marcus guests and associates, and have been very thoughtful about the reopening process we are implementing,” said Rolando Rodriguez, chairman, president and chief executive officer.

“We know people are eager to return to theaters for movies on the big screen provided they feel confident that we’ve created a safe and comfortable environment — and that consumer confidence is very important to us," he said, in a statement.

The company announced March 17 it was closing its theaters — affecting 6,500 employees.

It owns or operates 1,106 screens at 91 locations in 17 states under the Marcus Theatres, Movie Tavern by Marcus and BistroPlex brands. That includes 295 screens at 24 locations throughout Wisconsin — making it the state's largest circuit.

Other theater chains that are reopening include AMC Theatres. In Wisconsin, AMC operates six cinemas totaling 73 screens, including AMC Mayfair Mall 18 in Wauwatosa.

Marcus Theatres is a division of Milwaukee-based Marcus Corp., which also operates hotels — another industry devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marcus Corp. lost $19.3 million during the first three months of 2020.

The company's Marcus Hotels & Resorts Inc. division owns or manages 20 hotels, totaling 5,400 rooms, in Wisconsin and seven other states. It closed the hotels in March and April.

Marcus Hotels has started reopening some properties, including downtown Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel.

Marcus Hotels received $11 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans to keep 1,400 to 1,500 employees on the company's payroll for up to three months.

Also, Marcus Corp. received a new $91 million bank loan to help it deal with the pandemic's economic effects.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

With MoviePass cutting back, which movie ticket subscription is your ...

Your MoviePass deal just got a lot less sweet.

On Monday, the harried movie ticket subscription service announced that it's scaling back its plan to three movies a month, after nearly a year of allowing users to see one film a day for just $9.95.

The news comes after a particularly frustrating couple of weeks for subscribers, marked by a $5 price hike (later reversed), restrictions on seeing major new movies and multiple outages when the app wouldn't work – the result of the company running out of cash.

Fortunately for thrifty moviegoers, theater chains have smelled blood in the water and devised their own money-saving subscription plans. Cinemark Movie Club, for instance, gives you one movie ticket (3D showings excluded) at Cinemark theaters for $8.99 per month; unused tickets roll over and the fee includes 20% off concessions. Alamo Drafthouse is also starting to test subscription models for its boutique dine-in cinemas, which would offer unlimited movies and reserved seating.

USA TODAY tested out a couple of the highest-profile subscription plans to see how they stack up against MoviePass.

MoviePass

If you're already a MoviePass subscriber, you're probably familiar with the increasing restrictions on using the service: In addition to seeing only three movies a month (starting Aug. 15) and having to buy your ticket at the theater, you can't see films more than once and may need to snap a photo of your ticket stub to verify your purchase. There are also some major releases, such as summer blockbuster "Mission: Impossible – Fallout," that may charge additional fees or not be available on the app at all.

Despite the inconveniences, MoviePass' greatest advantage over its competitors is that most every theater accepts it, giving cinephiles the option to see films they might not normally cough up $15 for. We happily chose Kelly Macdonald drama "Puzzle" at New York's cozy Angelika Film Center, which we purchased with MoviePass with no issues.

AMC Stubs A-List

A little more than a month ago, MoviePass' most vocal detractor, AMC, announced its own rival subscription plan, which gives you three movies a week at AMC theaters (3D and IMAX included) for $19.95 a month. So far, the service has drawn in 175,000 subscribers, with plenty more likely to follow if their experiences have been as positive as ours.

Of the three major subscriptions, Stubs A-List is easily the most convenient. At any given time, you can buy up to three tickets for movies currently playing or opening that week. All you have to do is select the theater, date and showtime for the movie of your choice, pick your seat and click a box to reserve your ticket. And unlike MoviePass – which requires you to use a company-issued debit card to buy your ticket – Stubs A-List is all digital, so you can simply pull up the ticket on your app once you get to the theater. Plus, there are no restrictions on how many times you see a film. (We opted for "Mission: Impossible" twice in one day and have zero regrets.)

Sinemia

The fledgling subscription service has been around for a few years, but has only recently ramped up its offerings to rival MoviePass. Sinemia features a variety of membership plans, such as $3.99 for one 2D movie a month or $14.99 for three movies per month, which also includes 3D and IMAX-4DX showings. They also introduced four tiers of "family plans," beginning at $7.99 for two people to see one 2D movie a month.

However you do the math, it's still not as great a deal as either MoviePass or Stubs A-List. It's also a huge headache to use if you don't opt for a physical Sinemia card. In order to purchase a ticket using their cardless service, you find your desired theater in the "planning" tab of the app. Once you enter the approximate date, time and number of people for the movie you'd like to see, Sinemia generates a temporary credit card number for you to use on Fandango, MovieTickets.com or another ticket-selling website to go through the process of actually ordering the ticket.

It's an unnecessarily confusing process bringing two apps into the mix. Not only did we have to check into the Sinemia app for our afternoon showing of "Skyscraper" – which you can only do a half-hour before or after the movie starts – but we also had to use Fandango to pull up the ticket on our phone once we got there.

So which is the best deal?

It all comes down to a matter of taste. For those who don't mind waiting a couple weeks to see the hot new releases, MoviePass is still the most affordable option and offers the widest variety of choices. If you're unlikely to branch out into lesser-known films and wished MoviePass had let you see "Avengers: Infinity War" more than once, you can't beat AMC Stubs A-List for its user-friendly service, reserved seats and ability to re-watch recent flicks. Sinemia simply has too many kinks to work out before we can wholeheartedly recommend.

Regal Cinemas movie theaters open in Knoxville, beyond — what to ...

Seeing a movie on the big screen is an experience of the senses, from the taste and smell of buttery popcorn to the sights and sounds of cinematic action.

If you're still trying to get a sense of what theaters will look like when Regal reopens Friday, we have you covered.

Here are five things to know about reopening plans for the Knoxville-based cinema chain.

1. What theaters are opening?

Regal's reopening is happening in phases. Regal Pinnacle at Turkey Creek is the only theater opening Friday in Knoxville, just in time for "Godzilla vs. Kong."

While this could be disappointing for local movie lovers, at least it's the flagship theater, complete with state-of-the-art renovations and a variety of viewing options.

The next round of Regal reopenings is scheduled for April 16, coinciding with the release of "Mortal Kombat."

Here is the full list of Regal reopening dates planned for Knoxville:

A full list of nationwide reopening dates is available at regmovies.com.

2. What movies are playing?

While Regal turned to some classic movies for its short-lived reopening between August and October, an impressive lineup of films from 2020 and 2021 is on tap for opening day at the Pinnacle.

French Exit

Godzilla vs. Kong

The Girl Who Believes in Miracles

The Unholy

Nobody

The Courier

Boogie

Chaos Walking

Tom & Jerry

Minari

The Marksman

News of the World

Promising Young Woman

Wonder Woman 1984

Monster Hunter

The Croods: A New Age

The first showtime is "The Courier" at 12:10 p.m., with "Godzilla vs. Kong" in 4DX going on last at 11:05 p.m.

While the company has not announced plans for Regal Unlimited passes, guidelines from previous shutdowns stated membership fees would be paused until theaters reopened. At that point, contracts would extend by the length of time theaters were closed.

3. How did we get here?

Regal was forced to close theater doors for the first time in March 2020 as COVID-19 began to run rampant in the U.S.

Knox News previously reported the company furloughed 40,000 U.S. employees and temporarily closed most of its theaters after a short-lived reopening from August to October.

The company reported 664 employees, more than 443 of them full-time, in the Knoxville area in 2020, according to the Knox.biz Book of Lists. The number includes in-theater and corporate employees. It's Knoxville's 74th-largest employer.

As theaters struggled to stay open and find movies to play, studios reacted to theater shutdowns by releasing movies straight to streaming.

It begs the question: What will make this reopening any different?

Cineworld, the parent company of Regal, has struck a new deal with Warner Bros. Pictures Group to give films an exclusive 45 days in theaters before moving to other platforms.

This shortened theatrical release window will begin in 2022.

4. What are safety measures?

Face masks are required through the entire theater building, including the auditorium, except when actively eating or drinking.

Regal is encouraging guests to purchase tickets in advance through the Regal mobile app.

Capacity is determined by local mandates. The theater's reservation system helps maintain social distancing by placing two seats between groups (one seat at theaters with recliners).

It will be the responsibility of guests to maintain two seats of distance at theaters without reserved seats.

Other safety guidelines include:

Adding hand sanitizer stations

Closing vending machines and water fountains

Screening employees and requiring hand washing every 30 or 60 minutes

Mandating masks for employees

Increasing fresh-air intake by at least 50% in auditoriums

A complete list of safety guidelines is available at regmovies.com/corona-virus-response.

5. What about snacks?

No, you still can't hide snacks in your purse. But you don't have to wait in line for food either, as the Regal app allows guests to purchase concessions while in the theater.

For those who prefer the old-fashioned way, every other register will be closed for social distancing. A reduced menu will be available, and self-service condiment stations will be closed.

Refills for large drinks and large popcorn will be given in new containers. Remember, Regal made the switch from Coke to Pepsi in 2020.

Locations with restaurants and in-theater dining will not offer these services for the time being. That includes Cinebarre at West Town Mall.

However, locations with bars will allow walk-up service.


12 new moons discovered orbiting Jupiter, giving it the most in our ...

There's a new moon king in our solar system: 12 new moons were discovered around Jupiter, which makes it the planet with the most moons.

Jupiter is already the biggest planet in our solar system. It used to be known as the planet with the second-most moons with 80, trailing only Saturn with 83.

Astronomers using telescopes in Hawaii and Chile in 2021 and 2022 were able to spot the moons and report them to the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center. Astronomers then followed up the observations to make sure the moons orbit the planet, and that was recently confirmed.

Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science, who was part of the discovery team, posted the findings online.

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What are Jupiter's newly discovered moons like?

Sheppard told The Associated Press the moons range in size from .6 miles to 2 miles in diameter, but only half of them are big enough – at least 1 mile in diameter – to have a name.

The moons also take a much longer time than ours to orbit its planet. Sky and Telescope reported all of the newly discovered moons take more than 340 days to orbit Jupiter, and nine of them take at least 550 days. By comparison, our moon takes about 27 days to orbit Earth, NASA says.

How many moons does each planet have?

The discovery gives Jupiter 92 total moons, the most of any planet in the solar system. Counting the new moons, here's how many moons each planet has, according to NASA (which has not officially recognized Jupiter's new moons):

Mercury: 0

Venus: 0

Earth: 1

Mars: 2

Jupiter: 92

Saturn: 83

Uranus: 27

Neptune: 14

Sheppard, who has been part of past moon observations on Jupiter and Saturn, believes there are moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn that haven't been discovered yet. He said both planets have small moons believed to once be bigger moons that collided with space debris like asteroids.

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Missions to Jupiter moons

The discovery comes as space agencies are preparing to observe the planet and its moons.

The European Space Agency will be launching its Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, Juice, in April to observe the planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with the goal of characterizing the moons "as both planetary objects and possible habitats."

In October 2024, NASA plans to send its Europa Clipper orbiter to observe the planet and its moon Europa. The moon is believed to be mostly water ice and have twice as much water as Earth, and there is evidence of an ocean of water or slushy ice beneath the surface. The goal is to see whether Europa could be suitable for life.

Contributing: Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

Dwarf planet Quaoar has a ring, and scientists are confused by it

Just on the outskirts of our solar system exists the dwarf planet Quaoar, and recent observations of the planet found a dense ring around it, but scientists can't figure how – or why – it's there.

Discovered in 2002, Quaoar exists in the Kuiper Belt, a region in space beyond Neptune where at least 3,000 planets are known to orbit the sun. The planet is about 690 miles wide, making it the seventh largest trans-Neptunian object, while former solar system planets Pluto and Eris are the biggest in the region. Pluto and Eris are now considered dwarf planetsQuaoar is about 4 billion miles away from the sun and takes around 286 years to orbit it, and has a small moon called Weywot.

The recent observations were made by scientists with the European Space Agency from 2018 to 2021 using ground-based telescopes and the agency's space telescope Cheops. It was during these observations that scientists made the puzzling discovery.

Putting a ring on it

Since Quaoar is so small and far from Earth, scientists observed the planet through a process called occultation, when the planet crossed in front of a succession of distant stars, allowing it to block out light.

Scientists noticed drops in brightness from the planet but weren't sure if it was because of effects from Earth's atmosphere. That was when the Cheops satellite came to the rescue, as it was also able to spot the changes in brightness.

"When we put everything together, we saw drops in brightness that were not caused by Quaoar, but that pointed to the presence of material in a circular orbit around it," Bruno Morgado, lead researcher from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said in a statement. "The moment we saw that we said, 'Okay, we are seeing a ring around Quaoar.'"

Moon king: 12 new moons discovered orbiting Jupiter, giving it the most in our solar system

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The ring doesn't fit

It's not unusual for planets to have rings, especially since Saturn has them. Even dwarf planets like Chariklo and Haumea have rings.

"What makes Quaoar’s ring unique, however, is where it is found relative to Quaoar itself," the agency said.

Known as the Roche limit, scientists have long believed any object with a gravitational field can't form a ring beyond a certain distance. When it gets beyond a certain distance, the objects making up the ring will morph into a moon, according to the theory.

Saturn, Chariklo and Haumea all follow the Roche limit, except Quaoar; the ring is "7½ times the radius of Quaoar," meaning it's past the Roche limit and should have formed into a moon.

Why does Quaoar have a ring?

Scientists have not yet understood why the planet has a ring and hasn't morphed into a moon.

The leading theory is the icy planet has such frigid temperatures that it's preventing particles from sticking together.

Scientists said more investigation is needed, but acknowledged what was known about space has now been challenged.

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

Asteroid hits Earth hours after being spotted, meteor turns into ...

An asteroid hit Earth hours after it was discovered Monday, turning into a dazzling fireball that was spotted throughout Europe.

Around 12:18 p.m. ET Sunday, astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky detected an asteroid – initially dubbed Sar2667 – at the Piszkéstető Observatory in Hungary, the European Space Agency said in a news release. After a second observation was made minutes later, it was reported to the International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center.

'100% impact probability'

About 40 minutes after the asteroid was discovered, the Višnjan Observatory in Croatia confirmed the object. The ESA said various impact assessment systems observed the asteroid and determined it has a "100% impact probability" above the English Channel – the strip of the Atlantic Ocean between southern England and northern France.

Luckily, astronomers said it was a 3-foot asteroid, officially named 2023 CX1, meaning it posed no threat to Earth or humanity.

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Asteroid 2023 CX1 hits Earth, turns into fireball seen throughout Europe

Astronomers around the world continued to observe the asteroid through Sunday night into Monday morning, spotting it until it became "invisible" as it fell into Earth's shadow, the ESA said.

At 2:58 a.m. UT (9:58 p.m. ET), the asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere, turning into a "beautiful fireball" that streaked across the European skies. A fireball is another name for an usually bright meteor that has burned up in Earth's atmosphere, NASA says.

The meteor was spotted throughout western Europe, as the International Meteor Organization said it received 61 reports of the fireball across Wales, England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

The ESA said its possible some fragments of the asteroid could have survived and made it near the coast north of Rouen in Normandy, France.

Several videos of the fireball were posted on Twitter.

Confusing scientists: Dwarf planet Quaoar has a ring instead of a moon, and scientists don't know why

Moon king: 12 new moons discovered orbiting Jupiter, giving it the most in our solar system

Asteroids spotted just before hitting Earth

Officials said this was the seventh time an asteroid had been detected just before it hit Earth.

One of the most recent instances also involved Sárneczky; in March 2022, a fridge-sized asteroid – about 6½-feet-long – hit Earth two hours after he initially spotted it.

NASA's Asteroid Watch said although asteroids like 2023 CX1 aren't a threat to humanity, they are an "excellent exercise" of Earth's planetary defense capabilities, as the ESA added spotting these asteroids just before they hit Earth is "a sign of the rapid advances in global detection capabilities."

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

Which planet has the most moons? The many moons of the solar ...

This great big solar system has plenty of secrets to tell. Just recently, NASA’s new James Webb Telescope dazzled us mere earthlings with the first images released to date of galaxies eons in the past.

The planetary systems surrounding us are similar in some ways and drastically different in others. When we look up at our moon it feels singular, but, in fact, there are many moons in the solar system, belonging to different planets.

Here are some fun facts about the other planet’s moons – from Venus, to Jupiter, to Saturn.

More about the James Webb Telescope:James Webb Telescope photos are dazzling. What to know about the NASA space camera.

Which planet has the most moons?

Saturn wins out for the most moons, followed closely by Jupiter.

How many moons does Saturn have?

Saturn has 82 moons. Of those, 53 are confirmed moons, and 29 are provisional, meaning they need to be confirmed by additional observation.

What are the planets in the solar system?

NASA lists these as the terrestrial planets of the inner solar system:

Mercury

Venus

Mars

Neptune

Saturn

Earth

Uranus

Jupiter

A moon is defined by NASA as a "natural satellite," usually a solid body, without an atmosphere -- though a few, like Earth's, do have atmospheres. The majority of planetary moons likely were formed from the "rings" or discs of gas and dust circling planets early on in the solar system.

The race to the moon continues:Florida coast braces for NASA's Artemis I moon launch, expecting at least 100,000 visitors

How many moons does Jupiter have?

Jupiter has 79 moons. Like Saturn, 53 are confirmed. In contrast though, Jupiter only has 26 additional provisional moons.

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Which planet has no moons?

Both Mercury and Venus have no moons.

What is Earth’s moon called?

Earth has only one moon (as you might have notice if you’ve ever looked upward at night.) Our moon is called just “the moon” because, according to NASA, it was the only moon we knew about for quite awhile.

Many of the other moons of the solar system claim their names from mythological characters. One of Neptune’s moons for example is called "Triton" after the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.

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How many moons does Neptune have?

14. Neptune has the fourth most moons in the solar system.

How many moons does Uranus have?

27. With nearly 30 moons, the planet of Uranus has the bronze medal for third most moons in the solar system.

Some history on the planet Uranus:'Cataclysmic' collision turned Uranus on its side 4 billion years ago

Which planets have rings?

Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune all have rings. Saturn’s is the brightest though, and therefore the planet most thought of as "ringed" in the popular imagination.

Saturn’s rings are composed of ice and rock, and some scientists think their formation might have something to do with the planet’s plentiful moons.

What planet rains diamonds?

This sounds like a question straight out of a sci-fi novel. Astoundingly, it has basis in reality. On Uranus, Neptune and Saturn scientists believe there is likely diamond rainfall.

On Saturn, a video from BBC Earth describes a scenario where soot clouds, deep in the planet, reach such a point of pressure that the chunks of soot turn to diamonds.

American Scientist also reports that scientists have believed diamond-rain to be a phenomenon on both Neptune and Uranus, but since the planets are so far away, on the outer fringes of the solar system, it has been difficult to study.

What is the brightest planet right now?

According to The Center for Astrophysics, a collaboration between Harvard and The Smithsonian, in August of 2022 viewers will be able to see Mars and Jupiter overhead in the night sky (though you might need binoculars, or a telescope.)

The month of August actually began with a conjunction of Mars and Uranus, the CFA reports, and closer to the middle of the month, Jupiter and the Moon will appear only a finger width’s distance from one another.

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Just curious?:We're here to answer life's everyday questions

When to watch Jupiter as it makes its closest approach to Earth ...

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Jupiter will make its closest approach to Earth in 59 years on Monday, September 26, according to NASA.

The largest planet in our solar system, the gas giant will be at opposition, meaning Earth is directly between it and the sun, said Trina L. Ray, deputy science manager for the Europa Clipper mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The space agency originally said Jupiter would be making its closest approach to Earth in 70 years, but corrected its statement after discovering the error, a NASA spokesperson said.

There will be about 367 million miles (590.6 million kilometers) between Earth and Jupiter, according to NASA. Jupiter is about 600 million miles (965.6 million kilometers) away from our home planet at its farthest point, the space agency said.

Jupiter is at opposition about every 13 months, the length of time the Earth takes to orbit the Sun in relation to Jupiter, according to EarthSky.

Neither Earth nor Jupiter orbits the sun in a perfect circle, which is what makes each opposition a slightly different distance, said Ray, who is also NASA’s investigation scientist for the Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface, or REASON.

How to watch

Jupiter will appear brighter and bigger in the sky, making the event a great opportunity to catch a glimpse, NASA said.

The gaseous planet will rise around sunset and look pearly white to the naked eye, said Patrick Hartigan, professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University in Houston.

With a pair of binoculars or a telescope, you will be able to see the planet’s bands, according to NASA.

Stargazers may also be able to see three or four of Jupiter’s moons, including Europa, Ray said.

“Since I am working on a spacecraft that we are going to send to the Jupiter system to explore Europa,” she said, “I’m always excited to see Jupiter and even Europa with my own eyes.”

For a precise time of when to look in the sky, use The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s visible planets calculator.

Saturn and Mars will also be visible, so try and spot those planets while viewing Jupiter’s opposition, Hartigan said.

Remaining events in 2022

Three more full moons will occur this year, according to the Farmer’s Almanac:

October 9: Hunter’s moon

November 8: Beaver moon

December 7: Cold moon

Native American tribes have different names for the full moons, such as the Cheyenne tribe’s “drying grass moon” for the one happening in September, and the Arapaho tribe’s “popping trees” for the full moon occurring in December.

Catch the peak of these upcoming meteor shower events later this year, according to EarthSky’s 2022 meteor shower guide:

Draconids: October 8-9

Orionids: October 20-21

South Taurids: November 5

North Taurids: November 12

Leonids: November 17-18

Geminids: December 13-14

Ursids: December 22-23

And there will be one more total lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse in 2022, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. The partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to people in parts of Greenland, Iceland, most of Europe, northeast Africa, and western and central Asia.

The total lunar eclipse on November 8 can be seen in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America between 3:02 and 8:56 a.m. ET. But for people in Eastern North America, the moon will be setting during that time.

Wear proper eclipse glasses to view solar eclipses safely as the sun’s light can damage the eyes.

Megan Marples Ashley Strickland
Megan Marples
Ashley Strickland

The most volcanic world in the solar system is about to be visited by ...

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A NASA spacecraft is gearing up for the first of a series of close encounters with the most volcanic place in the solar system. The Juno spacecraft will fly by Jupiter’s moon Io on Thursday, December 15.

The maneuver will be one of nine flybys of Io made by Juno over the next year and a half. Two of the encounters will be from a distance of just 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) away from the moon’s surface.

Juno captured a glowing infrared view of Io on July 5 from 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers) away. The brightest spots in that image correspond with the hottest temperatures on Io, which is home to hundreds of volcanoes — some of which can send lava fountains dozens of miles high.

NASA's Juno mission captured an infrared view of Io in July. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ASI/INAF/JIRAM

Scientists will use Juno’s observations of Io to learn more about that network of volcanoes and how its eruptions interact with Jupiter. The moon is constantly tugged by Jupiter’s massive gravitational pull.

“The team is really excited to have Juno’s extended mission include the study of Jupiter’s moons. With each close flyby, we have been able to obtain a wealth of new information,” said Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, in a statement.

“Juno sensors are designed to study Jupiter, but we’ve been thrilled at how well they can perform double duty by observing Jupiter’s moons.”

The spacecraft recently captured a new image of Jupiter’s northernmost cyclone on September 29. Jupiter’s atmosphere is dominated by hundreds of cyclones, and many cluster at the planet’s poles.

Jupiter's northernmost cyclone, seen to the right along the bottom edge of image, was captured by Juno. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSSImage

The Juno spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016 to uncover details more about the giant planet and is focused on performing flybys of Jupiter’s moons during the extended part of its mission, which began last year and is expected to last through the end of 2025.

Juno flew by Jupiter’s moon Ganymede in 2021, followed by Europa earlier this year. The spacecraft used its instruments to look beneath the icy crust of both moons and gathered data about Europa’s interior, where a salty ocean is thought to exist.

INTERACTIVE: Explore where the search for life is unfolding in our solar system

The ice shell that makes up Europa’s surface is between 10 and 15 miles (16 and 24 kilometers) thick, and the ocean it likely sits atop is estimated to be 40 to 100 miles (64 to 161 kilometers) deep.

The data and images captured by Juno could help inform two separate missions heading to Jupiter’s moons in the next two years: the European Space Agency’s JUpiter ICy moons Explorer and NASA’s Europa Clipper mission.

The first, expected to launch in April 2023, will spend three years exploring Jupiter and three of its icy moons — Ganymede, Callisto and Europa — in depth. All three moons are thought to have oceans beneath their ice-covered crusts, and scientists want to explore whether Ganymede’s ocean is potentially habitable.

Europa Clipper will launch in 2024 to perform a dedicated series of 50 flybys around the moon after arriving in 2030. Eventually transitioning from an altitude of 1,700 miles (2,736 kilometers) to just 16 miles (26 kilometers) above the moon’s surface, Europa Clipper may be able to help scientists determine whether an interior ocean truly exists there and if the moon could support life.

NASA: Asteroid will pass by Earth Wednesday at 2.8 million miles ...

NASA has cleared up previously unconfirmed reports of a massive asteroid supposedly hurtling closely towards Earth on Wednesday.

A massive asteroid named 2005 YY128 will fly by Earth at a safe distance on Feb. 15, Paul Chodas, the director for the Center of Near Earth Object Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told USA TODAY.

“Yes, the asteroid is probably fairly large, probably between 1,903 and 4,265 feet ” Chodas said in a statement on Monday.

Astronomers have been tracking this asteroid for 17 years and can accurately predict when it orbits the sun, Chodas said.

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Even though the astronomical event is called an "Earth Close Approach," astronomers predict “with certainty” that the asteroid will only get within 2.8 million miles of Earth – about 12 times farther away than the moon, Chodas said.

Chodas called stories that suggest the asteroid could crash into Earth “simply bogus.”

“The asteroid poses absolutely no risk to humans," Chodas added.

It does, however, offer scientists the chance to take some up-close measurements of the asteroid with radar.

Jupiter:12 new moons discovered orbiting planet, giving it the most in our solar system

How can NASA divert asteroids?

The best way to divert large asteroids heading for collision with Earth is to discover them years or even decades ahead of time, Chodas said.

“If this asteroid, for example, had been heading for an impact this week, we would have been able to predict (a collision) way back in 2005-6, and there would have been roughly 17 years in which to divert its path,” Chodas said.

The successful DART mission last year has proven NASA's ability to be able to deflect near-Earth objects, or NEOs, years before a potential impact by using a spacecraft that intentionally rams into asteroids to change its velocity and orbit, just slightly.

"All of this is quite hypothetical, of course, as there are no known large asteroids heading for impact with Earth,” Chodas wrote with "no" capitalized.

Also, NASA recently announced that work on NEO Surveyor – an asteroid-hunting telescope designed to protect Earth from disaster – had begun.

NASA's new asteroid-hunting telescope:Made to protect Earth from disaster

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The new telescope is designed to advance NASA’s planetary defense efforts by discovering 90% of NEOs that make their way into Earth’s neighborhood. The telescope is expected to be capable of spotting any asteroids – 460 feet or larger– and within 30 million miles of Earth's orbit, and capable of posing any risk to humans.

The telescope, set to launch no earlier than June 2028, will be able to find NEOs within a decade of launch.

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY's NOW team.

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Fact check: Dennis Hope's sale of land on the moon isn't legal

The claim: A man named Dennis Hope has been selling land on the moon for the past 35 years

Fancy moving away from Earth, or at least pretending to? NASA is seeking volunteers to simulate life on Mars by spending a year in a 3D-printed habitat.

But if living in a 1,700-square-foot space with three other people doesn't quite align with your space aspirations, some social media users say you might be able to buy land on the moon.

"For more than 35 years, Dennis Hope has been selling land on the Moon," reads an Aug. 16 Facebook post. "He claims to be the rightful owner of the Moon and has already made more than $10 Million by selling land on the Moon."

Fact check:Elon Musk did not offer to buy and delete Facebook

Hope is real, and he does claim to have sold millions of dollars worth of land on the moon. But his intergalactic venture isn't exactly legal.

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment.

'Lunar property' is a failure to launch

In the 1980s, Hope, freshly divorced and unemployed, turned to real estate hoping to make a fortune. He set his sights on the moon.

Business Insider reported in 2013 that Hope uncovered what he believed was a loophole in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which says "no nation by appropriation shall have sovereignty or control over any of the satellite bodies."

Hope interpreted the treaty to mean private citizens could lay claim to the moon. So he wrote to the United Nations in November 1980 declaring the moon was his.

"I sent the United Nations a declaration of ownership detailing my intent to subdivide and sell the moon and have never heard back," he told U.S. News and World Report in 2013. "There is a loophole in the treaty – it does not apply to individuals."

There's just one problem with that – it does.

Tanja Masson-Zwaan, president of the International Institute of Space Law in the Netherlands, told National Geographic in 2009 that the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty applies to governments and their private citizens.

But that hasn't stopped Hope from shooting for the moon.

On his website, Hope claims to have sold more than 600 million acres of land on the moon, as well as on Jupiter's third moon and the planets Mars, Venus and Mercury.

Fact check:False claim about LeBron James, 'Space Jam' ticket sales started as satire

To buy one acre of "lunar property," Hope charges $19.99, or $36.50 total after a shipping and handling fee, "lunar tax" and a fee for an official copy of the deed. For anyone interested in larger plots, he does offer discounts.

If an entire dwarf planet is more your style, Hope is selling Pluto for a cool $250,000.

Hope estimates he's made about $12 million from his intergalactic ventures. Don't expect to see luxury condominiums on the moon anytime soon, though.

"What (Hope) is doing does not give people buying pieces of paper the right to ownership of the moon," Masson-Zwaan told National Geographic.

Our rating: Missing context

Based on our research, we rate MISSING CONTEXT the claim that a man named Dennis Hope has been selling land on the moon for the past 35 years. In the 1980s, Hope claimed he discovered a loophole in the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty that lets individuals own parts of the moon. Since then, he claims to have sold more than 600 million acres on the moon and various other celestial bodies. But a space law expert says the treaty does pertain to private citizens, and Hope's claim to the moon is not valid.

Our fact-check sources:

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Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

Neptune new moon: Hippocamp discovered using Hubble Space ...

A new moon was discovered orbiting Neptune, scientists announced in a study Wednesday, joining the other 13 we already knew about.

The moon, named Hippocamp after the sea creature of Greek mythology, is Neptune's smallest moon, with a diameter of only 21 miles.

Hippocamp orbits close to Proteus, the largest and outermost of the planets' inner moons. The largest moon of Neptune is Triton, in an orbit farther out.

Compared with the planet’s other inner moons, Hippocamp is tiny, "which suggests a violent history for the region," Anne Verbiscer, a University of Virginia astronomer, said in a companion article in Nature.

The moon may have formed from ejected fragments of the larger moon after it was hit by a comet billions of years ago, according to the study. This supports the idea that all of Neptune's seven inner moons were formed and shaped by powerful collisions with comets.

All of the inner moons are thought to be younger than Neptune, having formed relatively soon after the capture of Triton.

"The first thing we realized was that you wouldn't expect to find such a tiny moon right next to Neptune's biggest inner moon," said study lead author Mark Showalter, a SETI astronomer. "In the distant past, given the slow migration outward of the larger moon, Proteus was once where Hippocamp is now."

More:Huge storms spotted on Uranus and Neptune

It's so small that it wasn't detected in 1989 during the Voyager 2 flyby of Neptune. Hippocamp was spotted by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope. Showalter and his colleagues discovered it using a special image-processing technique that made Hubble’s cameras extra-sensitive.

More:Astronomers discover 12 more moons orbiting Jupiter, including an 'oddball'

“The authors were actively hunting for moons to add to Neptune’s retinue,” Verbiscer said. She said that unlike Hippocamp, other recent discoveries in our solar system have been serendipitous: Last year, planetary scientists reported the discovery of 12 moons of Jupiter, which were identified during a search for the elusive Planet X that is proposed to lurk in the outermost region of the solar system.

"Applying the techniques that were used to find (Hippocamp) might result in the detection of other small moons around giant planets, or even planets that orbit distant stars," Verbiscer said.

In Greek mythology, the sea monster Hippocamp (aka HIppocampus) often is depicted as having a horse's upper body along with the lower body of a fish.

The study was published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature.

Watch the night sky for these celestial events in 2023 | CNN

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Stunning meteor showers, full moons and eclipses will light up the sky in 2023.

The year is sure to be a sky-gazer’s delight with plenty of celestial events on the calendar.

A comet discovered in March 2022 will make its closest approach to the sun on January 12, according to NASA. The comet, spotted by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, is named C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and will make its closest pass of Earth on February 2.

The comet should be visible through binoculars in the morning sky for sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere during most of January and those in the Southern Hemisphere in early February, according to NASA.

INTERACTIVE: The best space photos of 2022

On any given day, there is always a good chance that the International Space Station is flying overhead. And if you ever want to know what planets are visible in the morning or evening sky, check The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s calculator.

Here are the rest of 2023’s top sky events, so you can have your binoculars and telescope ready.

Full moons and supermoons

Most years, there are 12 full moons — one for each month. But in 2023, there will be 13 full moons, with two occurring in August.

The second full moon in one month is known as a blue moon, like the phrase “once in a blue moon,” according to NASA. Typically, full moons occur every 29 days, while most months in our calendar last 30 or 31 days, so the months and moon phases don’t always align. This results in a blue moon about every 2.5 years.

The two full moons in August can also be considered supermoons, according to EarthSky. Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally denotes a full moon that is brighter and closer to Earth than normal and thus appears larger in the night sky.

Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — its closest approach to Earth in orbit. By that definition, the full moon for July will also be considered a supermoon event, according to EarthSky.

Here is the list of full moons for 2023, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac:

January 6: Wolf moon

February 5: Snow moon

March 7: Worm moon

April 6: Pink moon

May 5: Flower moon

June 3: Strawberry moon

July 3: Buck moon

August 1: Sturgeon moon

August 30: Blue moon

September 29: Harvest moon

October 28: Hunter’s moon

November 27: Beaver moon

December 26: Cold moon

While these are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moon, each one carries its own significance across Native American tribes (with many also referred to by differing names).

Lunar and solar eclipses

There will be two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses in 2023.

A total solar eclipse will occur on April 20, visible to those in Australia, Southeast Asia and Antarctica. This kind of event occurs when the moon moves between the sun and Earth, blocking out the sun.

And for some skywatchers in Indonesia, parts of Australia and Papua New Guinea, it will actually be a hybrid solar eclipse. The curvature of Earth’s surface can cause some eclipses to shift between total and annular as the moon’s shadow moves across the globe, according to NASA.

Like a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth during an annular eclipse — but it occurs when the moon is at or near its farthest point from Earth, according to NASA. This causes the moon to appear smaller than the sun, so it doesn’t completely block out our star and creates a glowing ring around the moon.

A Western Hemisphere-sweeping annular solar eclipse will occur on October 14 and be visible across North, Central and South America.

Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as the sun’s light can be damaging to the eye.

Meanwhile, a lunar eclipse can occur only during a full moon when the sun, Earth and moon align and the moon passes into Earth’s shadow. When this occurs, Earth casts two shadows on the moon during the eclipse. The partial outer shadow is called the penumbra; the full, dark shadow is the umbra.

When the full moon moves into Earth’s shadow, it darkens, but it won’t disappear. Instead, sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere lights the moon in a dramatic fashion, turning it red — which is why the event is often referred to as a “blood moon.”

Depending on the weather conditions in your area, it may be a rusty or brick-colored red. This happens because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the most dominant color highlighted as sunlight passes through our atmosphere and casts it on the moon.

A total lunar eclipse appeared in the skies of Canta, east of Lima on May 15, 2022. Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images

A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on May 5 for those in Africa, Asia and Australia. This less dramatic version of a lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves through the penumbra, or the faint, outer part of Earth’s shadow.

A partial lunar eclipse on October 28 will be visible to those in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, parts of North America and much of South America. Partial eclipses occur when the sun, Earth and moon don’t completely align, so only part of the moon passes into shadow.

Meteor showers

The new year kicks off with the Quadrantid meteor shower, which is expected to peak in the overnight hours between January 3 and 4 for those in North America, according to the American Meteor Society.

It’s the first of 12 meteor showers throughout the year, although the next one, the Lyrid meteor shower, doesn’t peak until April.

Here are peak dates of other showers to watch in 2023:

Lyrids: April 22-23

Eta Aquariids: May 5-6

Southern delta Aquariids: July 30-31

Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31

Perseids: August 12-13

Orionids: October 20-21

Southern Taurids: November 4-5

Northern Taurids: November 11-12

Leonids: November 17-18

Geminids: December 13-14

Ursids: December 21-22

If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a place that isn’t littered with city lights. If you’re able to find an area unaffected by light pollution, meteors could be visible every couple of minutes from late evening until dawn.

Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness — without looking at your phone! — so the meteors will be easier to spot.