Pyrotechnic chemistry drives the Vatican’s recipes for the black and white smoke used to announce papal election outcomes ...

The Vatican’s cardinals gather in conclave today to begin electing the successor to the late Pope Francis—which means the ...

For black smoke, the Vatican uses a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulphur. The white smoke used to signal that a Pope has been chosen is created from potassium chlorate ...