These numbers are not well-defined and the sequence is included only for completeness.
The visual magnitude (m) scale is logarithmic: for two stars of brightness i1 and i2 (as seen from the Earth), the magnitude difference m1 - m2 = - log(i1/i2)*100^(1/5). Fainter stars have a higher magnitude number. Data collected by the Hipparcos satellite and exhaustive up to about 9 mag (n=10). At fainter magnitudes (n > 10), the data are increasingly fragmentary (thus the slowing rate of increase from there).
a(n) would be proportional to 10^(0.6*n) in the simplifying hypothesis of a uniform distribution of identical stars in an infinite universe. Any empirical formula matching the actual sequence for n=0 to 10 is welcome.
EXAMPLE
There is 1 star brighter than -1 mag (Sirius, -1.44 mag). There are 4968 stars brighter than 6 mag, which is about the faintest brightness visible to the naked eye.
