Terry Lovejoy found this comet, his fifth comet discovery, on August 17, 2014. It was then a very dim 15th magnitude. Its brightness steadily increased as it approached the Sun. By December, it was dimly visible to the naked eye. In January 2015 it reached magnitude 4, easily visible to the naked eye and a beautiful object in binoculars and telescopes.
The coma had a distinct blue-green color, and the comet was very photogenic, with its tail often showing intricate details including multiple strands and knots. This image was obtained two days after its closest approach to Earth, and 21 days before perihelion (its closest approach to the Sun).
We will not see this comet again. It has an orbital period of about 8000 years.