When astronomer Professor Phostle detects an enormous star heading for a collision with the Earth it looks like everyone is doomed. But the Professor has miscalculated and the huge star brushes past missing narrowly but leaving behind an enormous meteorite which has crashed into Arctic waters. While the Professor was mistaken about the collision there is no mistake about his discovery of a unique new metal present in the meteorite. Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock along with a group of scientists are soon on their way to the polar regions where they are to experience some of their most bizarre adventures!
This story was created by Herge in occupied wartime Belgium in 1942. It was the first to go straight into the format with which we are familiar for Tintin today - the 62 page 4 strip per page colour book. It was also the first to be printed in colour (the older books were later coloured and reprinted - but up to "The Shooting Star" the previous stories had appeared in Black and White).