US astronomers get new 5,000-pound telescope to search for dark matter

A German-made DSA-2000 radio telescope has arrived at the University of Virginia’s Fan Mountain Observatory for dark matter searches.

The 5-meter dish weighing about 5,000 pounds was transported across the Atlantic and up a mountain road with forklift assistance.

UVA researchers will use the DSA-2000 to observe known and predicted neutron star locations to look for microwave signals from axion conversion.

A $249,850 Jefferson Trust grant funded the acquisition and deployment of the telescope.