Asterisk is derived from asteriskos, the Greek diminutive for star (aster) - hence "little star". In addition, a black hole is one of several possible lifecycle

Asterisk is derived from asteriskos, the Greek diminutive for star (aster) - hence "little star". In addition, a black hole is one of several possible lifecycle end-points of a star, so pronouncing A* as A-star is pretty accurate.