I have seen Pluto with my own eyes. To think that something that I've seen as nothing more than a speck of light is now growing into its own world, a place we have never seen before, hell this is a type of world we have never seen before, is amazing. Pluto takes a 14" or larger telescope, dark skies, steady air, an expensive star chart, and two-three days of observing to make sure that you are looking at Pluto and not a random faint star. All that work to look at a speck of light may seem like a waste of time, and I understand that sentiment. However.... How many of you out there can say that a piece of Pluto has literally touched you? A photon of light that left the sun, hit Pluto, then bounced back to earth ended its journey in my retina. My brain was able to take that physical act and understand that I am looking at a tiny ball of ice 4 light-hours away. Astronomy reminds me that I am not more than a speck in a cosmos that is bigger than I can ever understand. And it is wonderful.