If you can discern something, you are aware of it and know what it is. You need a long series of data to be able to discern such a trend It was hard to discern why this was happening
To see or understand the difference; to make distinction; as, to discern between good and evil, truth and falsehood
detect with the senses; "The fleeing convicts were picked out of the darkness by the watchful prison guards"; "I can't make out the faces in this photograph"