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

At that stage, the smoke diminishes and becomes much lighter. This fluctuating fumata—combined with the subjective ...

Fact-Checking the Oscar-Winning Movie However, as conclaves came and went, it became difficult to control the color of the smoke. In 2005, after previous conclaves ended up releasing gray-looking ...

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

During a Papal Conclave, the world will be watching for white or black smoke from the Vatican's chimney. Here's what it means ...

For white smoke, the Vatican says it used to use wet straw, but to make it a more pure color, instead of a confusing grey, they use potassium chlorate, lactose and a tree or bush resin called ...