jmc

A terminating decimal can be written in the form $\frac{a}{10^b}$, where $a$ and $b$ are integers. So we try to get a denominator of the form $10^b$: $$\frac{1}{2^5\cdot 5^8}\cdot \frac{2^3}{2^3}=\frac{2^3}{10^8}=\frac{8}{10^8}.$$The fraction $\frac{8}{10^8}$ means that there are 8 digits to the right of the decimal point, the last of which is 8. So there are $\boxed{7}$ zeroes between the decimal point and the first non-zero digit.