Suppression of astronomical sources using the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope and starshades with flight-like optics

The external starshade is a method for the direct detection and spectral characterization of terrestrial planets around other stars, a key goal identified in ASTRO2010. Tests of starshades have been and continue to be conducted in the lab and in the field using non-collimated light sources. We extend the current approach to performing night-time observations of astronomical objects using small-scale (10-30cm) starshades and the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. This configuration allows us to make measurements of stars with a Fresnel number close to those expected in proposed full-scale space configurations. We present the results of our engineering runs conducted in 2015.