Valencia has about 800,000 inhabitants in the administrative centre.
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy -LRB- AURA -RRB- is a consortium of universities and other institutions that operates astronomical observatories and telescopes .. astronomical. astronomy. observatories. observatory. AURA recognizes its mission statement as `` To promote excellence in astronomical research by providing access to state-of-the-art facilities . ''. astronomical. astronomy. Founded October 10 , 1957 with the encouragement of the National Science Foundation -LRB- NSF -RRB- , AURA was incorporated by a group of seven U.S. universities  : California , Chicago , Harvard , Indiana , Michigan , Ohio State , and Wisconsin .. National Science Foundation. National Science Foundation. California. University of California. Chicago. University of Chicago. Harvard. Harvard University. Indiana. Indiana University. Michigan. University of Michigan. Ohio State. Ohio State University. Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin–Madison. The first meeting of the Board of Directors took place in Ann Arbor , Michigan .. Michigan. University of Michigan. Today , AURA has 39 member institutions in the United States and seven international affiliate members .. AURA began as a small organization dedicated to ground-based optical astronomy , managing a range of 1 - to 4-meter telescopes and providing community advocacy for optical / infrared astronomy .. Over the years , AURA expanded its focus to include Solar Astronomy and the Gemini 8-meter telescopes , going on to partner with other consortia such as WIYN -LRB- Wisconsin Indiana Yale & NOAO -RRB- and SOAR -LRB- Southern Astrophysical Research -RRB- .. Indiana. Indiana University. Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin–Madison. In the 1980s , AURA took on the management of the Space Telescope Science Institute , opening up the ultraviolet , optical , and infrared wavelength bands in space with the Hubble Space Telescope .. Space Telescope Science Institute. Space Telescope Science Institute. AURA is furthering its aims in infrared space astronomy through the James Webb Space Telescope -LRB- JWST -RRB- .. James Webb Space Telescope. James Webb Space Telescope. The organization is responsible for the operation of several important observatories , known as `` AURA centers ''  : the Gemini Observatory ; the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope -LRB- LSST -RRB- ; the National Optical Astronomy Observatory -LRB- NOAO -RRB- ; the National Solar Observatory -LRB- NSO -RRB- ; and the Space Telescope Science Institute -LRB- STScI -RRB- .. observatories. observatory. Gemini Observatory. Gemini Observatory. Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. National Optical Astronomy Observatory. National Optical Astronomy Observatory. National Solar Observatory. National Solar Observatory. Space Telescope Science Institute. Space Telescope Science Institute