We have designed, constructed, and utilized a charge-coupled device system, integrated with a small Newtonian telescope, capable of long distance recording of bacterial fluorescence and synchronous spectra for the detection of bacteria, their component molecules, and other species. This newly developed optical system utilizes commercial monochrome cameras that we have used to detect various bacterial strains, such as Escherichia coli, and determine their concentrations. In addition, using this system, we were able to differentiate between live and dead bacteria after treatment with ultraviolet light or antibiotics.