"Amazing," "just astonishing," "something wonderful," "just blowing my mind."
Those were among scientists' reactions to a close-up view of Pluto, provided by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft.
Scientists, admittedly, have reason to rejoice, but the fly-by also marks an achievement for the United States, its space program, thinkers and poets - everyone.
"The United States is the first nation to reach Pluto," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolton, "and with this mission has completed the initial survey of our solar system, a remarkable accomplishment that no other nation can match."
The mission itself is a phenomenal success. New Horizons, described as the size of a baby-grand piano, traveled three billion miles on a nearly 10-year journey before gathering data from Pluto.
NASA's website said: "Because New Horizons is the fastest spacecraft ever launched, hurtling through the Pluto system at more than 30,000 mph, a collision with a particle as small as a grain of rice could incapacitate the spacecraft."
New Horizons now is in the data-gathering mode, which will continue to be sent for 16 months. The information will tell scientists more about the dwarf planet, its five known moons and the solar system's Kuiper Belt, which NASA describes as "an outer region populated by icy objects ranging in size from boulders to dwarf planets."
Already, a photo showing mountain range about 11,000 feet high and tens of miles wide prompted project scientist Hal Weaver to remark: "Who would have supposed that there were ice mountains? It's just blowing my mind."
Space exploration is changing dramatically. The Space Race that marked the Cold War rivalry between the United States and Soviet Union has evolved into missions involving other nations - sometimes, jointly - as well as private industry.
The constant is new information gained through space exploration continues to excites scientists.
All of us, however, have reason to share the exhilaration.
Thanks to the New Horizons mission, we increase our knowledge of the universe and reignite our sense of wonder about our place in it.