| The motion of the solar system is chaotic, i.e., small differences in initial conditions grow exponentially, with a Lyapunov time for the inner planets of only about 5 Myr. For example, a difference in initial coordinates of 1 mm grows to ca. 1 AU after 163 Myr. Thus, the chaotic nature of the planetary orbits appears to limit accurate prediction of orbital evolution beyond a certain time interval (limit of predictability, ca. 50 Myr). In this presentation, I will provide a brief historic perspective on our understanding of the chaotic behavior of the solar system. Next, I will describe the utility of solar system dynamics (e.g., changes in Earth's orbital parameters, so-called Milankovic cycles) in geologic dating, a.k.a. astrochronology, which uses astronomical solutions of the planetary orbits to provide highly accurate ages of events in Earth's history (astronomical time scale). Unfortunately, until recently astronomers and geologists have struggled to extend the astronomical time scale farther back than ca. 50 Myr due to the limit of predictability from solar system chaos. However, I will show how geologic records and the fingerprint of chaos in those records can be used to overcome the limit by using long-term numerical ensemble integrations of the solar system. Furthermore, I will comment on important integration parameters such as the solar quadrupole moment and the number of asteroids included in the simulations. Finally, I will highlight the unique opportunity provided by the current approach to reconstruct the chaotic behavior of the solar system. |