A magnetic anomaly sensing system and method uses at least eight triaxial magnetometer (TM) sensors arranged to define a cubic space. Each TM sensor measures a local magnetic field associated with a target region and generates magnetic field data indicative thereof. The magnetic field data is processed in accordance with a magnetic scalar triangulation and ranging (STAR) processing scheme to determine a plurality of gradient contractions C.sub.T,I at a corresponding plurality of measurement points I to include at least at the center of each face of the cubic space. Gradient contraction pairs are defined for each sensors' X, Y, Z magnetic sensing axes. A directional derivative .gradient.C.sub.T is determined using the gradient contraction pairs and the baseline distances therebetween. A unit vector, calculated using the directional derivative .gradient.C.sub.T, is used in determining a projection distance from each of the measurement points toward the target region.