The tiny 830-person town of Tekapo, New Zealand, is on a mission to save the stars, or rather, protect the view of the stars. The town is gunning for a UNESCO-sanctioned title "Starlight Reserve," effectively making the village the place for would be stargazers. Currently the rules and regulations to combat light pollution include mandatory low-energy sodium lamps shielded from above; making sure that household lights must face down, not up; and special lighting on ice-skating rinks to prevent UV rays from reflecting upwards off the ice at night.

The UNESCO sanction, however, will be a stretch. While Tekapo is being observed at the moment for possible inclusion, current guidelines do not include protection of the sky. Whether or not the city will get stamped with UNESCO goodness remains to be seen, but I think it goes without saying that Tekapo might just be the best place ever to put the moves on someone.