I actually think Pluto's classification as a dwarf planet actually gives New Horizons more significance, not less. Pluto the planet was just a tiny very far awa

I actually think Pluto's classification as a dwarf planet actually gives New Horizons more significance, not less. Pluto the planet was just a tiny very far away example of an object which we have already studied a great deal of. Pluto the dwarf planet instead is one of the largest and nearest example of an object we know very little and have never studied before (I.e. the kupier belt objects) and which can give us hopefully a lot more insight into how the solar system formed.