Here is the origin of your story:

On August 27, 2003, Mars came closer to Earth than at any other time in the last 50,000 years. While it was technically closer than usual, it was only about 1% closer, so the difference was not that important. Someone reported that you should be able to see it with a back yard telescope about as well as people can see the Moon without a telescope.

This got incorrectly reported by the TV and papers as if Mars would appear in our sky as big as the moon.

This story have been repeated every August ever since.

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