how do I type a "Star"

Press the command+space bar on your keyboard to bring up the emoji window, you can search for a star and a number of other emojis.

Click here ➡️ Use emoji and symbols on Mac - Apple Support

Also:

Mac keyboard shortcuts - Apple Support

Not sure if this is all you are seeking, but on a US keyboard:

star (aka asterisk) character is Shift-8 [*]