Abstract: It is a classical result that in the N-body problem with positive energy, all solutions are unbounded in both forward and backward time. If all of the mutual distances between the particles tend to infinity with nonzero speed, the solution in called purely hyperbolic. In this case there is a well-defined asymptotic shape of the configuration of N points. We consider the scattering problem for solutions which are purely hyperbolic in both forward and backward time: given an initial shape at time minus infinity, which final shapes at time plus infinity can be reached via purely hyperbolic motions ? I will describe some recent work on this problem using a variation on McGehee's blow-up technique. After a change of coordinates and timescale we obtain a well-defined limiting flow at infinity and use it to get Chazy-type asymptotic estimates on the positions of the bodies and to study scattering solutions near infinity. This is joint work with G. Yu, R. Montgomery and N. Duignan.