Here's how the conclave creates black and white smoke and why the Catholic Church began using them to signal whether a new pope has been elected.

When [Pope Leo] came to the balcony, I looked up, and I was like, ‘That dude looks like he could be my brother,” a New Orleans priest said.

For white smoke, a compound of the chemicals potassium chlorate, lactose, and rosin (also known as Greek pitch) is used, ...

Papal conclave ballots have been burned to maintain secrecy for centuries. Ballot smoke has been used to announce a decision ...

The chimney smoke from the Sistine Chapel is the most watched signal during conclave, which started on May 7. Only two colors ...

When a new pope is elected, there are two signs that mark that historic moment: the white smoke from the chimney of the ...

The White House shared an AI image of President Donald Trump in honor of Star Wars Day 2025 — and people quickly recognized the color of his lightsaber is red. ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas once ...