During the last week Chandra completed the observing schedule as planned.

Chandra passed through the sixth, seventh and eighth eclipses of the season on Dec 14, 17 and 20 respectively, with nominal power and thermal performance. Real-time procedures were executed Dec 19 to dump the CPE gyro configuration memory and to reset the CPE power loss recovery relays.

A Chandra image release was issued on Dec 17 describing observations of the NGC 6338 system, which consists of two colliding groups of galaxies. The new X-ray data show that the gas to the sides of the cool cores, and in between them, appears to have been heated by shock fronts formed by the collision of the two galaxy groups. This pattern of shock-heated gas has been predicted by computer simulations, but NGC 6338 may be the first merger of galaxy groups to clearly show it. For details see: https://chandra.si.edu/photo/2019/ngc6338/

The schedule of targets for the next two weeks is still in work due to possible observations of a recently triggered Target of Opportunity.