The Shooting Star

The Shooting Star
Tintin © Hergé/Moulinsart.

Originally created by Jesper Jühne. Maintained by Irene Mar
Contributors and sources: Aaron Remick, Etienne Chevalier, Chikahiro Masami, Kirill Polsatchev, BP= Tintin and the world of Hergé by Benoît Peeters. London: Methuen, 1989.

Last modified: 20 Jan 2007
Latest changes: Title in other languages section updated.

Original French title

L'Etoile Mysterieuse

Publication history

First published in Le Soir between 20/10 1941 and 21/5 1942. The book appeared in 1942.

UK edition:

Series: The Adventures of Tintin
Publisher: London : Mammoth, 1990
Physical Description: 62 p : ill
ISBN: 0749704616
Notes: Reprint of the 1978 Magnet paperback; originally published by Methuen 1961.

Related link: First publication dates of The Adventures of Tintin

Plot

"It's the END of the WORLD!" declares Professor Phostle, as an enormous star hurtles towards the earth. But he is disappointed - the star brushes past, leaving only a vast meteorite which falls in the Arctic waters. However, there is no mistake about the Professor's discovery of a valuable new metal in the meteorite; it is worth a colossal fortune, and in a hazardous search in polar regions Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock encounter some of their strangest adventures. [AR]

Trivia

  1. Page 2: the door bell that is first seen in frame 6 disappears in frame 9 (but reappears again in frames 11 to 14).
  2. Page 4: the long focal distance of the telescope will only make anything on the lense invisible, not magnified.
  3. Page 21: Captain Haddock's sleeve cuff stripes change in number - see frames 4 and 10.
  4. Cameo: page 20, frame 8: Quick and Flupke leading the way.
  5. Cameo: page 21, frame 2: Scientist, Auguste Piccard (first from the right).
  6. In 1954 Hergé changed the original flag of the competing expedition from the American flag to the flag of Sao Rico. [BP, page 71] The American flag can still be seen on page 35, frame 7:
    The Shooting Star trivia
    Image © Hergé/Moulinsart.

Title in other languages:

  1. Basque - Izar misteriotsua
  2. Breton - Ar sveredenn gevrinus
  3. Catalan - L'estel misterios
  4. Chinese - 神秘的流星 (Shen mi de liu xing)
  5. Danish - Den mystiske stjerne
  6. Dutch - De geheimzinnige ster
  7. Faeroese - hin gátuføra stjørnan
  8. Farsi/Persian - Sitarihyi asrar amiz
  9. Finnish - Salaperäinen Tähti
  10. Galician - A estrela misteriosa
  11. German - Der geheimnisvolle Stern
  12. Greek - To mystiriódes ástro
  13. Hebrew - Kochav Ha'shavit
  14. Icelandic - Dularfulla stjarnan
  15. Indonesian - Bintang jatuh
  16. Italian - La stella misteriosa
  17. Japanese - ふしぎな流れ星 Hushigina nagare boshi
  18. Korean - Shinbi-eui Puol
  19. Lëtzburgesch - Den onheemleche stär
  20. Portuguese - A estrela misteriosa
  21. Russian - Zagadochnaya zvezda
  22. Spanish - Le estrella misteriosa
  23. Swedish - Den mystiska stjärnan
  24. Turkish - Esrarengiz yildiz
  25. Sao bâng

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