During the last two weeks Chandra completed the observing schedule as planned.

Real-time procedures were executed on Dec 25 to dump OBC-B memory as a follow-up to the patch uplink performed on Dec 23. The dump will be used to update the baseline memory image maintained on the ground.

A real-time procedure was executed on Jan 6 to perform a routine self-check of the Electrical Interface Assembly (EIA) Sequencer.

Preparations are complete for the winter 2016 eclipse season; the season contains six eclipses and runs from Jan 8 to 22. Real-time procedures were executed on Jan 7 to prepare for the first eclipse: one to activate SCS 29 and one to dump and clear the EPS glitch counters.

A Chandra press release was issued on Jan 5 describing observations of the supermassive black hole at the center of the nearby galaxy NGC 5195. This is one of the nearest supermassive black holes to Earth with active powerful outbursts that has yet been discovered. Such outbursts are part of the "feedback" process that is important to the evolution of the black hole and its host galaxy. Two arcs in the X-ray data suggest separate eruptions from the black hole occurred millions of years ago. For details see: http://chandra.si.edu/press/16_releases/press_010516.html

A Chandra press release was issued on Jan 6 as a CU-Boulder press release describing observations of a recently discovered black hole, which does not have the expected number of stars surrounding it. The galaxy SDSS J1126+2944 is the result of a merger between two smaller galaxies, which brought together a pair of supermassive black holes. One of the black holes is surrounded by a typical amount of stars, but the other black hole is strangely “naked” and has a much lower number of associated stars than expected. For details see: http://chandra.si.edu/press/16_releases/press_010616.html

A Chandra press release was issued on Jan 7 describing observations of IDCS J1426.5+3508, an extremely distant massive cluster of galaxies. This is the most massive galaxy cluster detected at such an early epoch in the Universe. X-rays from Chandra confirmed the cluster's mass and showed that about 90% of that mass is in the form of dark matter. For details see: http://chandra.si.edu/press/16_releases/press_010716.html

The schedule of targets for the next two weeks is shown below