Okay, so after some careful analysis, I think I've came to a new conclusion...
There are 8 Nebulas in total (including Barnard's Loop itself) in and around the surrounding area.
1. Orion Nebula
2. Running Man Nebula
3. Barnard's Loop
4. Messier 78
5. Flame Nebula
6. Horsehead Nebula
7. Horsehead Dark Region
8. Orion Dark Region
There are two nearby, relatively speaking (I'll come back to those in a moment*).
1. Witch Head Nebula*
2. California Nebula*
To understand the "Alpha" Ancient Ruin (or what I prefer to dub the Thargoid War Shrine now) we need to understand this potential hypothesis: the symbols have both a 2D and 3D meaning to them. You cannot simply compare 3D space to a 2D interpretation.
So, here is my thought process regarding both the meaning and interpretation: the meaning is to honour the dead, the interpretation tells us where abouts the war occurred. It is a map, just as much as it is a shrine.
View attachment 242388
View attachment 242390
This is my best guess...
As you can see from the second image, it does seem a solid lead.
Pretty sure the Witch Head Nebula and California Nebulas have had a Thargoid presence (please can someone confirm).
Which means, I'm thinking the two symbols highlighted in green - don't just mean nebulas - but also Barnacles present in those nebula. Hence, the two triangular mounds attached to those circular symbols, if they are to mean that those nebulas are indded the Witch Head Nebula and the California Nebula.
Considering the Ancient Ruin for-shadowed the presence of Thargoids in one or both of those Nebulas, this should be a solid discovery.