NGC 3631 hangs just below the bowl asterism in Ursa Major, a drop of star stuff suspended in time. The sketch at left captures the view in my 10-inch Meade Starfinder at 82X. It is listed as an Sc-type spiral galaxy. Although no spiral structure is evident, I do detect a stellar core embedded within a 2' diameter nuclear region which, itself, is surrounded by a somewhat fainter outer region. The entire galaxy covers a 4'x3' diameter area. Nine field stars provide context for the drawing. A close pair of 10th magnitude stars stand just inside the southern field boundary. You'll find NGC 3631 about 4 degrees southeast of 2.3 magnitude Merak, Beta Ursae Majoris.