Astronomy Picture of the Day . ... 17.10.1996 . ... Credit: C.R. O'Dell ( Rice U. ), NASA , Explanation: Are planets common in our galaxy? ... These fuzzy blobs, called " proplyds ", appear to be infant solar systems in the process of formation . Of the five stars in this field which spans about 0.14 light years, four appear to have associated proplyds - three bright ones and one dark one seen in silhouette against the bright nebula. ... October 1996 . ... 1995 1996 . ...