Although not frequent events this is not new.
Still very impressive to watch though, especially when considering the scale!
Here's a rare capture from an Earth based telelscope , from December 2006
tsunami-like
shock wave
www.space.com...
The tsunami-like shock wave, formally called a Moreton wave, rolled across the hot surface,
destroying two visible filaments of cool gas on opposite sides of the visible face of the Sun.
...Flares like this one are spawned by sunspots, which are dark, cool regions that cap magnetic activity below.
When the caps pop, colossal doses of superheated matter and radiation are unleashed.
