How does shielding work?

Solution 1:

All types of stars can become shielded. A shield will form around your star(s) if your system has a tech level of 6 or greater. The system tech level is determined by

Number of life planets + Total level of planets

The level of a planet can be determined by the number of sections lit up in the ring just under the surface of the planet.

This planet is at level zero, as all four bars are greyed out, but because it is still a life planet, it would contribute one level to the system's tech level.

This means that while one planet cannot provide a high enough tech level to shield your star, two planets, if they have a high enough level, can do so. Just getting six life planets is also enough to shield your star.