Make it so.

Have you heard the news about Pluto, Sky Watcher?

Astronomers have voted to strip Pluto of his status as a planet. He's getting demoted because he's too small and too slow, and fails to dominate his orbit. Next thing you know, they'll be calling him ugly, too.

Because this is "big" news, I'm learning a lot more about the former planet. (Since I barely knew it was a planet, don't construe that as bragging.)

Did you know that Pluto was the only planet to be "discovered" by an American? A young Kansas farm boy, Clyde W. Tombaugh, discovered Pluto in 1930 and went on to become a world-renowned star gazer. He died in 1997 at the age of 90.

I mention his death because, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Mr. Tombaugh's birth, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is carrying a small amount of his ashes into space. It is expected that the ship and Mr. Tombaugh's remains will pass Pluto on July 14, 2015, then continue out of our solar system into interstellar space.

You know I just gotta say it, "Have a good trip, Mr. Tombaugh - to infinity, and beyond!"