The Vatican’s age-old tradition of using smoke signals to announce the outcome of papal elections has received a modern scientific upgrade. For centuries, the faithful looked to the Sistine Chapel’s ...

Meanwhile, white smoke is produced using a much cleaner fuel mix and a more powerful oxidizer. Potassium chlorate (KClO₃)—even more reactive than perchlorate—ensures a hot, vigorous burn. Lactose acts ...

In the afternoon, smoke may appear around 1 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Vatican time if no decision is made. If a pope is elected on the first afternoon ballot, look for white smoke shortly after 11:30 a.m., ...

The smoke is created by burning the ballots, and originally just meant that no pope had been elected. It was only in the ...

White smoke has emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel Thursday, signaling that the conclave to elect a new pope has ...

Tradition holds that black smoke indicates the cardinals have not yet agreed on a new leader, while white smoke signals that ...

Potassium chlorate (KClO₃) — even more reactive than perchlorate — ensures a hot, vigorous burn. Lactose acts as the fuel, burning quickly and cleanly into water vapour and carbon dioxide.

When that happens, white smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel's chimney. If the two-thirds majority is not reached, black ...

But if there is a winner, the burning ballots are mixed with potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin to produce the white smoke.

A North Andover man was sentenced to prison for unlawful possession of a machine gun, unlawful possession of explosive ...