It is so big that it can be seen in images of the sun from Earth's surface
A quick search tells me that the ancient Chinese observed sunspots with the naked eye in 364 BC. And sunspots were first observed telescopically in 1610.
Seeing a sunspot from the Earth's surface does not seem remarkable, but this one is "so big" you can actually see it! Perhaps part of the untold story here is that the sunspot cycle has been very quiet lately (possible sign of a Little Ice Age) and so sunspots of all sizes are not seen so frequently.
But perhaps that violates the Global Warming orthodoxy.
I noticed a huge sunspot on Friday during the partial eclipse.
You’re right.
We had a solar flare of this size in 1990. X-3 is big, but not unprecedented. We’ve even recorded ones this big.
http://www.space.com/27540-huge-solar-flare-from-giant-sunspot.html