Dynamical chaos in the Solar system

Abstract

Methods and results of a new major part of science on the dynamics of the Solar system bodies, namely, the part devoted to researches of dynamical chaos in the motion of celestial bodies, are described and analyzed. The dynamical chaos (non-determined dynamical behavior in the absence of any random perturbations) in the motion of celestial bodies is caused by interaction of nonlinear resonances, either orbital or spin-orbit. The resonances and chaos in the motion of minor and large bodies of the Solar system, — planetary satellites, asteroids, comets, and planets, are considered. Special attention is given to the problem of observability of the chaotic behavior; in particular, methods of analytical estimating the Lyapunov time, specifying the “predictability horizon” of the motion, are described.