A solar powered illuminator for lighting an outdoor environment has a housing joined to a platform supporting a solar panel wired to a circuit board and a rechargeable battery located within the housing. An elongated translucent tubular member joined to the housing has a passage accommodating LED lamps wired in series with electrical conductors connected to the circuit board. When solar panel is exposed to sunlight a charging current is supplied to the battery and electric power to the LED lamps is turned off. When solar panel is not exposed to sunlight the battery is disconnected from the solar panel and connected to the LED lamps to light the outdoor environment.