On October 19, 2026, colleagues, family, and friends of Jorge Cantó Illa gathered at the Institute of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics (IRyA) at UNAM, Campus Morelia, to celebrate his astronomical work and reflect on experiences shared over the past five decades.

The Institute of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics (IRyA) at UNAM Campus Morelia, congratulates

The Institute of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics (IRyA) at UNAM Campus Morelia, congratulates

Countless stars, cosmic dust, abundant gas, and maybe something else? Galaxies contain all of this. Yet, they are not static; they do not simply float in space, undisturbed. Since their formation billions of years ago, they have undergone significant changes, sometimes on their own, and at other times influenced by other galaxies… something similar to people.

Black holes are not cosmic vacuum cleaners, as some people claim. Nor are they space drains where everything simply disappears. So, what are they? What happens to things that get too close to them? The answers cannot be squeezed into the few seconds of a short social media video.