How do you claim a system?

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by gregebowman:
This leads me to ask a question. Whenever I colonize a planet in a new system, there is a little red symbol that shows up on the detail screen that looks like a red alien. Is that part of the way of the computer telling me that someone else already claims the system?

the little red symbol may be the crumpled red garbage can of no spaceport