Pieter Theodorus Oosterhoff (30 March 1904,Leeuwarden - 14 March 1978,Leiden) was a Dutchastronomer.
He was the co-administrator, along withJan Oort, of theLeiden Observatory in the Netherlands.
His published papers are primarily in regard tovariable stars andphotometry. He is most noted for his 1939 observation that there appear to be two populations ofglobular clusters based on the periodicities of theirRR Lyrae variable stars.[1] These two populations would come to be known asOosterhoff groups after him.
Between 1951 and 1952 he served as assistant general secretary of theInternational Astronomical Union, and served as general secretary from 1952 until 1958. In 1954 he was one of twelve European astronomers who drafted a statement that would lead to the formation of theESO.
Theasteroid1738 Oosterhoff is named after him.
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