PROPER ELEMENTS FOR HIGHLY INCLINED ASTEROIDAL ORBITS

Based on Williams' work and rewritten in action angle variables, a met hod for the calculation of proper elements is here presented. The aver aging over the long periodic terms is performed by the semi numerical method developed by Henrard (1990); no series expansion in eccentricit y or inclination of the asteroid is used which allows calculating prop er elements for highly inclined orbits. Conversely, the theory is trun cated at the first degree in the eccentricity and the inclination of t he perturbing planets. A few tests about accuracy and consistency are presented.