Cardinals began the papal conclave at the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to select a new pope after the death of Pope Francis. What does black smoke mean?

In a tradition that scholars date to the 19th century, smoke released from a chimney will be colored white if the cardinals have made a decision, or black if they remain deadlocked.

Black smoke billowed over the Vatican on Wednesday to signal that no candidate received the required two-thirds majority of cardinal electors to become the next pope. The big picture: White smoke is probably not far off.